


Dancing On Insanity's Knife

by Cindertail, Lyrae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Animagus, Animal Death, Anti-Muggle Content, Bipolar Disorder, Crossover, Dammit Jim, Dark Magic, Jim Has Issues, Jim is a Little Shit, M/M, Mental Instability, Pre-Canon, Roleplay Logs, Sherlock Being Sherlock, Tags May Change, using animals as test subjects
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23665471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cindertail/pseuds/Cindertail, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrae/pseuds/Lyrae
Summary: "Oh yeah, the rain incident... How many pranks did this mystery student do this month already ? Well, I mean, we can't be entirely sure it was the same person everytime since some time it was directed at one student in particular and the other pranks were aimed at a whole house or at the school in general..."He started pacing around Sherlock, idly playing with his wand at the same time."Do you have a lead ? I thought of the defense teacher at first, but seeing the level of the spells used in the incidents, that would mean he had been faking his incompetence for the whole year !" he exclaimed, faking annoyance.And well, even if the teacher had actually been good, the pranks had started even before he arrived…"37." Sherlock answered, watching as Jim paced around. And awful lot of headaches for him as he tried to solve who did the pranks, but the good side was that than he had a very few moments of boredom, which prevented him from detentions and such.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/James Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes/Jim Moriarty
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Cuddles and a conversation

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrae as Jim Moriarty  
> Cindertail as Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock sighed when Professor McGonagal let him go of the class, going down to the dungeons to find Jim, where he expected him to be. Once he found him he stopped calmly. "Let the Hufflepuff go Jim. We have some business to do." He tapped his feet on the ground impatiently. He didn't care much what kind of things Jim wanted from the Hufflepuffs or if he just liked to make them uncomftrable. He simply had things to talk with him, and he didn't need the company of Hufflepuffs who for a fact liked to share everything in their knowledge. 

Jim huffed slightly before lowering his wand and shooing the younger boy away, grinning in dark amusement when he saw him scamper and almost trip on himself in his hurry.  
Come on, did he need to look so afraid ? Jim was just making sure that the other boy understood just what he was getting into by making a deal with him...  
The Slytherin didn't work for free, so if the boy wanted his ex-girlfriend to regret leaving him, he would have to pay up.  
When the other was finally around the corner, Jim turned to face his friend, grinning at the other.  
"Nice to see you too Sherly !" He exclaimed in exaggerated cheerfulness "Did Transfiguration make you miss me that much ? " he added, teasing.

Sherlock watched after the boy with a slightly amused smile. Some people were so scared of Jim. Though to be honest, to normal people Jim could make quite an intimidating picture of himself.  
He leaned against the wall and rose his eyebrows at Jim's over enthuastic cheerfullness. "No. It didn't. But McG thinks I was the one who messed up the roof of the Great hall to rain and thunder yesterday." He explained calmly, rolling his eyes in annoyance.  
"Now I would like to know what do you think. Tonks isn't enough talented to do anything with actusl magic, just chapeshifting nor any of the Weasleys." Sherlock continued. He didn't think Jim would have done it neither. Even he was a Slytherin, Jim did business, and scaring first and second years wouldn't be considered business.

Jim made sure his face was not betraying his emotions, frowning slightly like he was in deep thought.  
"Oh yeah, the rain incident... How many pranks did this mystery student do this month already ? Well, I mean, we can't be entirely sure it was the same person everytime since some time it was directed at one student in particular and the other pranks were aimed at a whole house or at the school in general..."  
He started pacing around Sherlock, idly playing with his wand at the same time.  
"Do you have a lead ? I thought of the defense teacher at first, but seeing the level of the spells used in the incidents, that would mean he had been faking his incompetence for the whole year !" he exclaimed, faking annoyance.  
And well, even if the teacher had actually been good, the pranks had started even before he arrived…

"37." Sherlock answered, watching as Jim paced around. And awful lot of headaches for him as he tried to solve who did the pranks, but the good side was that than he had a very few moments of boredom, which prevented him from detentions and such.  
"Straight off we can list out mudbloods, most of halfbloods and Weasleys." He listed, tapping his feet on the floor while he wss thinking. They have no hope in being able to do such spells as the prankster did. With so much muggle blood in Jim it was already a very big surprise he was able to do what he did.  
"And no. It defenitely isn't the DADA teacher. My brain cells die with just seeing him." He shook his head. He suffered from stupid teachers as much as Jim, so he understood his annoyance perfectly

Jim frowned slightly when he heard what Sherlock was saying about muggle-borns and half-bloods, thanking the fact that he was actually facing the other way.  
He held no love for muggles, some of them were stupid, dirty creatures that deserved death, like his drunkard father, but that fact applied to humans in general, not just the unfortunate part of humanity which possessed no magic...  
And saying that muggle-borns couldn't wield magic as well, or even better than some purebloods? That was absolutely ridiculous.  
He didn't voice his thoughts though, he simply turned around after plastering a fake smile on his face.  
Sherlock was his bestfriend, his equal in everything, but sometimes he doubted the other’s sanity almost as much as he doubted his.  
"Who could it be then? I can't imagine anyone from my house doing this..."  
'Well...except me of course.'  
"Or anyone in our year really, the only ones who could cast spells like that are me and you Sherly..." he trailed off before widening his eyes in obviously exaggerated surprise.  
"Oh my Sherly... I should have known it was you all along! "

Sherlock tilted his head as he looked at Jim. "Pretty smile you do have, but I'm enough smart to know when you fake it." He shook his head lazily. He was aware Jim didn't approve some points on his way to wiev world, so he didn't need to try and act polite.  
He followed the lines how he had been teached as a child. And on top of all his big brother wasn't any better than him, even worse. He wasn't going to change how he looked at the world.  
He rose his eyebrows at Jim when he stated he was the prankster. "Jimmy. You know exactly how I act. I don't do pranks." He shook his head slightly. He wasn't interested on causing harm to other people unlike Jim sometimes was.

Jim smiled, smiled because he knew nothing he could say could would Sherlock's mind, smiled because if he didn't he might start cursing the other and he knew perfectly how a fight between the two of them would end...  
If Hogwarts didn't crumble, it would only be because one of them was already dead.  
So he grinned, circling the other closely, so close Jim was certain Sherlock could feel his breath on his neck when the Slytherin paced behind him.  
"And that's kinda sad isn't it ? You like solving puzzles but you never create them... What would you do Sherlock Holmes, if no one was as brilliant as you are, I wonder." he whispered in his hear before pulling back, stepping away from the other.  
"So... A pureblood then ?" he asked after cleaeing his throat.  
The prankster couldn't be a mud blood, COULD HE ? Or even the son of one...  
His blood would be too impure for him to be gifted with the strong magic and the genius shown in the pranks, RIGHT ?

Sherlock looked straight forward and let Jim pace around him. He always liked to get on people's personal space anyway so he was already used on Jim pressing agsinst him while they were talking.  
"I do create puzzles Jim. No one just ever realizes they are there. I'm not a person who decides that turning the entire third floor into a rainforest is a good idea." Sherlock shook his head. He needed constantly something to make sure he didn't get bored, and sometimes it ment creating something instead of solving.  
Sherlock tilted his head slightly and looked at Jim. "I will have to see. Some of the pureblood's even without any muggle blood are extremely stupid." He continued, even he had sertain believes, he wasn't blind to who was smart and who wasn't.  
"So. Since you probably have time, and of course I will pay, you could be so kind and create me a list of every sixth and seventh year students along with blood status?" He suggested. He could of course do the whole list on his own, but Jim would do it faster and he could focus completely on his case.

Well, at least Sherlock wasn't blind to the stupidity of some of his pureblood classmates...  
Jim looked ready to refuse, but after a second, he finally nodded.  
"Only purebloods and half-bloods ? Or should I also include muggleborns and blood traitors ?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance.  
It wouldn't take long, of course, that wasn't the problem...  
But sometimes, Sherlock's complete disregard for those with muggle blood made him want to hit the other.  
Sherlock was his bestfriend, the only one he ever let get to him...  
But what was HE to Sherlock ? Some kind of cute lackey? Not too stupid, but alas, diminished by muggle blood ?  
He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away.  
"You better make it worth my time Sherly~" he sing sang after collecting himself.

Sherlock was aware Jim didn't like how he put people in boxes. But he still wasn't blind like the Blacks or something, who were completely fanatical about the pure blood. Obviously if he was going to marry someday, which was unlikely, he would have a pureblood bride, but bad blood didn't absolutely always mean a bad wizard.  
Jim was a good example. He didn't have any actual wizard blood in himself, but he still could consider him his equal. He was smart and very good at magic. He was able to run a whole business at the school behind the teacher's backs with very little trouble.  
Sherlock smiled slightly, wrapping his arms around Jim's neck and bending down to his level. "Of course I will Jimmy. You know me. You will get your payment.

Jim grinned before gaining back control over his face and scoffing, lightly pushing the other away.  
"Really? Then tell me Sherly, just how will you pay me ?" he practically purred.  
"Because if you're offering something I could easily gain elsewhere, I won't accept it like last time because I like you, no more preferential treatment for you I'm afraid..." He trailed off, tilting his head to the side, scrutinizing Sherlock's face.  
Jim wondered just what the other would give him to get his services... His help didn't come cheap, and even if Sherlock was his bestfriend, someone needed to bring down that ponce every now and then.

Sherlock rolled his eyes, straightening his back so he was again at his full leinght. Jim's moods changed awfully quickly.  
"You really want me to spoil the surprise. What a shame, but okay." He leaned against the wall and smiled just a bit to Jim. "You get me for a day for whatever you wish as always. And... what should I give to you? Twenty unregistered galleons?"  
He had plenty more, but he was too buying stuff with them, since in the black market you got stuff much cheaper if the gold wasn't marked. And his dear parents of course liked to spoil him with whathever he wanted, wether or not his brother approved of it.  
But he knew for Jim getting paid actual wizard money was important because he didn't have it from his own. And unregistered even more important because he would get stuff cheaper with it

Jim listened closely to Sherlock's offer, licking his lips as he did so.  
Usually he would barter for a better trade and threaten to just leave, but well, it wasn't like the other's proposition was that bad...  
Jim might be going a little softer with his friend than with others, but it wasn't like he hadn't harvested a bit of money in all his years here.  
"Alright." He said a second later, sighing. "It shouldnt take me very long to get the list so I hope the payment is ready Sherly... And really, we need to make a deal for you to spend time with me ?" The Slytherin asked, pouting dramatically and putting his hands over his heart "I thought we had something more !"

Sherlock waited patiently as Jim considered his offer, smirking when he accepted it. Some money and day with Jim was worth of getting the list way more quickly than when he would do it on his own.  
He rolled his eyes ot Jim's pouting, running his fingers over his cheek. "You know what I mean Jimmy. I'm not on your free use every day of the week." He shook his head, knocking Jim's forehead. "Unless you suddenly came as stupid as a muggle you should realize that on your own. We're friends, who benefit of eachothers."  
He messed up Jim's neatly made hair before pulling his hand back to himself. It was amusing to watch how big of a drama queen Jim sometimes was. It was even sometimes amusing.

Jim's face soured slightly when he heard Sherlock's comparison, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.  
Jim knew a that prejudice towards muggle came from his education, but really ?  
The other was always going against his brother's wishes anyway, so couldn't he just drop that stupid ideology altogether?  
Just how could he think every muggles were stupid when they had scientists like Edison, Newton or Einstein ?  
How could he think that when muggles were the ones that had actually landed on the moon ?  
Wizards studied astronomy, of course, but muggled had perfected it, had managed what the others hadn't:  
They had left this stupid planet and became one with the stars...  
Or they would if they hadn't come back, but well, that was more than what the wizards had done.  
Muggles didn't have magic, so they adapted, they found other ways to bend nature to their will, they improvised and created, building cities and skyscrapers.  
So how could Sherlock, smart Sherlock, genius Sherlock, actually believe what he was saying?  
Jim didn't voice his thoughts, knowing nothing he said would change the other's mind.  
The Slytherin tidied his hair, glaring slightly at the taller boy.  
"You know I don't like people touching my hair-"  
'Or touching me at all'  
"So stop doing that if you don't want to be cursed.

Sherlock could tell again that Jim didn't approve of how he was speaking, but atleast he didn't comment. He was aware that Jim was okay with mud- and halfbloods, and he wasn't going to try and change his believes. They were both equally stubborn. And it wasn't even bad, Jim generally didn't like people, so it wasn't like he acted like the Weasleys or something who loved muggles.  
He took his wand, tapping Jim's cheek with the tip. "I'm faster though. I always get the first hit. I can jinx you first." He reminded. Jim's style to duel was very different from his, simply because their way to use magic in any sitsuation was different. And of course Jim sometimes slipped on doing things the muggle way.  
He took Jim's hand on his own. "How about we get out of these dungeons? It's cold in here anyway, I don't get who would want to live here. And go somewhere where I don't have the danger of getting hypothermia." He tapped his feet on the floor. He generally didn't enjoy cold, and even he did have his robes on it didn't help that much. Jim had even less clothes, and he seemed to be okay though.

Jim grinned when the other poked him with his wand, his own already digging in the other's chest.  
"You may be faster darling, but we both now that doesn't mean you would win~" he sing sang before lowering his wand, his eyes glinting in amusement.  
He let Sherlock take his hand, interwining their fingers.  
"It's not like it's freezing but well, alright let's go, I guess I would get bored if you died because you caught a cold..." he shook his head before wordlessly casting a warming charm around them.  
"There, you won't die before we reach a warmer place at least."  
The Slytherin idly twirled his wand between his fingers, humming softly as he wondered where the other would bring him.  
He did have a project right now, one he didn't want Sherlock to know about and that had nothing to do with his pranks...  
He was looking for someone

Sherlock smiled a little bit when Jim threatened him. It was nothing new, just something fun they both did just because they could.  
He nodded slightly as Jim made the warming spell from him, starting to lead him up the floors, using as many secret passageways as he knew so it wouldn't take too much time.  
Once he got to the sixth floor and to the right spot, he let go of Jim's hand and paced up and down the hallway, untill the door appeared. "There." He put his wand which he had been holding on his hand into his pocked and mockingly bowed at Jim. "Get in."

"Oh my Lord Holmes, you are most gracious! "  
Jim grinned when he saw Sherlock's courtesies, entering the room and holding the door open for the other boy.  
Afterwards, he looked around the room, trying to guess what the other had been thinking about when he made it appear.  
"So, why did you bring me here in particular Sherly ?" he asked after a few seconds.  
He used this room quite often before, but it had become less frequent when he started working on his new project since he didn't want Sherlock to find out about it…

"I couldn't think of anything else in that moment. And I know you like it here." Sherlock shrugged, taking his robe off and going to sit down on the chouch, crossing his legs. He had been there with Jim multiple times before.  
"Are you planning to come here or just stand there?" He rose his eyebrows lazily and leaned back. He took his wand and took the warming spell off of himself so he wouldn't start to get hot.  
He played with his wand lazily. It was a new one he had bought at the summer break since he had managed to snap his old one. Wood was such a tricky material for wands because it broke so easily, especially when dry.

Jim grinned before lounging on the same couch as Sherlock, putting his head on the other's knees and looking up in mischief at his friend.  
"And just how did you break your last one already ? You didn't even have it for very long..." The Slytherin huffed in fond exasperation before continuing :  
"I think you're keeping Olivander's business running all by yourself Sherly, you should be a little bit more careful with your wands you know ?"  
Jim had kept the same one ever since he was in first year and he had been a scrawny kid getting pushed around by the older purebloods.  
It had been at his side, always, but that didn't mean he deluded himself in thinking the wand wouldn't work for someone else...  
It was one of the characteristics of thestral hair after all, powerful but cold and uncaring.  
Unlike some wands that would spontaneously combust if someone else took them or if their master died, his would change allegiance as soon as he died...  
Perhaps Magic had finally gotten annoyed of his defence of the muggles and had given him this wand as punishment, something that would never truly bound with him.  
He still remembered Olivander's expression when he had finally found it, gripping tightly the elder wood just after a pine wand had literally combusted the instant he touched it.  
The old man's complexion had turned ashen, his pale eyes glancing at the wand before looking back at Jim.  
'You know Mr Moriarty, wizards change... This wand will not define you your whole life.'  
His voice had been soft, sympathetic, like he was telling him he was terminally ill and not selling him his wand.  
'Wands are not used for divination, they choose a wizard because of his character, not his destiny.' He had added when he had seen Jim wasn't answering.  
The Slytherin hadn't understood at first what the other was talking about, but he had found out pretty soon after when he was burrowed in his wandlore book.

Elder, powerful but bringer of bad luck, known for choosing wizard with a great yet tragic destiny.  
Thestral hair, only useable by those who witnessed death, cold, unboundable, unpredictable.  
And the wand that burned to ashes when he touched it? Made of pine wood, a material known for choosing only long-lived wizards...  
So what, was he fated to live brightly and die young?  
Well then, what else could he do but accept his destiny?  
If that was what Magic had planned for him, the only thing he could do was bow and smile.  
And smile he did as he used his wand to correct the wrongs done to him, cursed and lashed out, learned the dark arts from a book he stole.  
He still smiled when Carl Power, pureblood Carl Power, loved-by-all Carl Power, drowned in the great Lake...  
Who would have thought the poor boy was allergic to gillyweed?  
He idly twirled it in his wand, his eyes fixed on the white wood laced with red veins.

Sherlock shrugged a little bit. He had a habit of mistreating his wands unlike Jim who kept his own to be very dear to him. He was fully aware of what Jim's wand was and what he had done with it. But every wizard had a destiny, and Jim had chose his to be like it was at that moment.  
He stroked Jim's hair gently while he gave his nee wand for Jim to look. He knew he liked to see his new wand always when he got one. Not that it changed that much from the old one.  
"Yew, went to get a kelpie hair by myself as always, before it it was dragon's heart string and 11 and ⅔ inches." He informed. He didn't exactly make his own wands, but broke the ones the bought from Olliwanders to fit him perfectly with the kelpie hair he couldn't find from any wandmaker and then built the whole thing neatly back together. He was fully aware he was extremely picky but he couldn't do much.  
He looked at Jim's wand while stroking his hair. The wand was brilliant for Jim, and also for what he did with it. He too, practiced black magic, but not for the harm of others but simply because it was so much more powerful.  
The kelpie hair helped with that. A dark creature born to drown people stupid enough not to know how to handle it. He had tried multiple wands at eleven with all the dark creatures in, and he had settled on kelpie. It made doing dark magic easy, but also managed with the normal, white magic.

Jim examined the wand for a few minutes, looking at it from every angles before handing it back to the other.  
He smiled when he felt Sherlock's hands in his hair, closing his eyes in contentment.  
"What will you do when you find your prankster Sherly ? They haven't targeted you particularly have they ?" he hummed, curious.  
"Are you just doing that for the thrill of it or are you actually planning on doing something once you know their identity ?"  
Jim knew that Sherlock liked the chase, the thrill of the rush, the fact that someone managed to oppose his genius...  
But what would he do if he discovered he one he had been looking for all this time was actually his bestfriend ? What would he do when he learned Jim had been hiding the truth from him ?

Sherlock put his wand away once Jim gave it back, twirling his hair around his fingers. "No. They haven't. But my house yes. And I didn't plan to do anything after I find who does the pranks. I just don't want to be bored and this is a brilliant way to prevent that." He stated. He didn't really care that much who did the pranks, but hr wanted to solve who it was and how that person managed not to get caught.  
He looked down to Jim calmly, simply looking at him. He was extremely pretty, even though short and thin. But it didn't really matter that much. Jim still managed to get anyone to have a crush on him and sometimes flirt very dirtly to get something he wanted. It was one reason to why Jim was so brilliant at manipulating.  
"What do you plan to do after Hogwarts? We know what happened to Voldemort so hopefully nothing along the lines what he was doing." He questioned lazily so the could keep up talking, even though they were able to in a comftrable silence while they were thinking and so on.

Jim returned Sherlock's gaze, losing himself in his unfathomable blue eyes before the other’s voice forcefully brought him back to reality.  
Still half sprawled on the other, he gave a noncommittal shrug, looking bored by the question.  
Of course he had a plan, but since it was the continuation of his ongoing project, he wasn't going to tell Sherlock about it.  
"What, don't want me starting another wizarding war? I assure you that if I wanted to take control of England, I wouldn't need to do that honey..." he hummed, his dark eyes nearly completely hidden by his eyelashes.  
"I'll probably travel the world a bit before settling down, learn all the magic I possibly can before coming back to England... Maybe I'll work as an unspeakable afterward, or teach at Hogwarts, who knows. " Jim grinned before glancing at the other boy.  
"What about you? Any plans to follow your dear brother in the ministry?" he asked teasingly.

Sherlock stroked Jim's cheek while he spoke, listening him calmly and admiring his face since he was, as always, rather close to him. He didn't fully understand Jim's liking of being close to him at all times but let him anyway.  
He listened his plan. It sounded good, Jim always wanted to be the best so he could as well go and learn more about what he could do. He would probably do something similiar, but only about topics he was interested in. And as an unspeakable. Well no one really knew what they were doing as the job as the name gave out, but whatever they did would probably for to Jim. He wasn't so sure about the teaching, Jim was by no means a pleasant person.  
He huffed at Jim's tease. "No. I defenitely wont be working for the ministry at any point in my life. I will probably do my own thing. You have your own business, maybe I will create my own too." He moved his fingers back into Jim's hair.

Jim raised his eyebrows before chuckling, trying to stifle the laughter by holding one hand in front of his face.  
"You're planning on creating concurrence? I don't want to offend you, Sherlock, but I, at least, can pretend to be pleasant."  
Seeing the number of idiots he had to deal with at all times, he wasn't completely sure that Sherlock would resist the urge to curse them...  
Not wanting to laugh at his friend’s expense, he forced himself to stop, clearing his throat:  
"But well, what kind of business would you create? "  
It would be nice if they still saw each other even after they left Hogwarts...  
Of course, Jim had to deal with his missing person problem first, but hopefully, he would manage that before the year ended…

Sherlock rolled his eyes at Jim's laughing, but understood his point. Jim actually pretended most of the time to be a nice person when he didn't bother at all. But that didn't mean he couldn't work with people.  
"I know I'm not a pleasant person Jim. But I don't need to be pleasant if I'm good what I do. I was mostly thinking that people come to explain their magical or muggle problem to me, missing people, stolen stuff and such. If I find it enough interesting I will solve it. I need something to keep me occupied as you know." He explained, moving Jim's head slightly so his leg wouldn't start to go numb.  
He looked at Jim calmly, blinking slowly. Maybe, if he had the motivation, he could go and travel with Jim too. It would defenitely be interesting.

Jim choked on his own saliva and started coughing, sitting up in the hopes he would manage to clear his throat.  
"Muggle problems? YOU dealing with MUGGLE problems?!"  
He jumped to his feet, pointing his wand at the other boy.  
"Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" he said, keeping a parody of a serious expression plastered on his face.  
"The Sherlock Holmes I know would never lower himself to ordinary problems! Are you sure that you didn't catch a cold while looking for me?"

Sherlock took his own wand and pointed it at Jim. If he was on wandpoint even as a joke he still wanted to be ready to actually duel if that was needed.  
"I am still Sherlock Holmes thank you very much Jim, and I don't have a cold. But take to considering that for example missing people are very rarely caused by magic. It's a muggle problem, but you can be sure I'm going to use magic." He shook his head calmly.  
He gently tapped his lap. "Now put your wand away before we have a fight going on and come back here." He was fully aware of what he had said, but he needed a lot of stuff so he wouldn't be bored.

Jim lowered his wand, putting it back in his holster, but he shook his head.  
"I'm not your dog Sherly, and since you very rudely interrupted me earlier, I still have a deal to make with a certain Hufflepuff... We wouldn't want him to think I work for free, now would we?"  
He flicked invisible specks of dust away from his robes, styling his hair with his fingers.  
"So if you have nothing of further interest to tell me, I'm afraid I will have to take my leave."  
Jim stretched lightly, tilting his head to the side and then backward, keeping his eyes fixed on Sherlock

Sherlock put his wand away when it was safe for him to do so. He leaned back calmly as Jim did his little show of cleaning himself.  
"I'm fully aware of what you are to me. You can go, we will meet tomorrow at the ah so brilliant divination class." He shrugged. He understood that Jim actually had a job aside of spending time with him and school, so he was used on him spontaneously leaving, which he didn't care that much about.  
He anyway actually even had stuff to do that day since he had some tests to do. "And in case you want to wisit I'm in the Ravenclaw tower. You will figure out the riddle."

'You're fully aware of what I am to you? Then tell me Sherlock, just WHAT AM I?'  
The thoughts whirled in his mind, threatening to swallow him whole, but he didn't voice them.  
Instead he chuckled, giving a small wave before turning on his heels.  
"Don't doubt that will Sherly~" he sing sang before becoming serious again.  
"Don't get attacked by our mystery prankster would you? It would be a shame if you got transfigured into a cat like the third year's last month... Even though I'm sure you would make a very cute little kitten!"  
Not letting the other respond, he left the room, almost immediately slipping into a secret passage.


	2. Conflict and cuddles on the roof.

Sherlock sat down on his besk fiddling with his wand. He had banned all his room mates from the dorm room for the time he was experiementing as always. Dark magic and trying to create new spells wasn't something he wanted to share with anyone, the only expection being Jim, since he actually was a full on dark wizard.  
At the moment he was trying to find a way to cast a spell on mirror so you could travel something between them, in the best case even yourself. He wasn't very far yet, but he was progressing, and he had broke surprisingly little amount of mirrors while he was trying on all the unsussexful spells

After leaving Sherlock, Jim had crossed most of the school to go to the library, sneak out the school records from the 1930' and hidden himself in an empty classroom in the dungeons, behind half a dozen privacy charms.  
N.E.W.T.s, 1944, Slytherin's class...  
Here he was.  
Tom Marvolo Riddle.  
Dark curls, pale skin and eyes of an indescribable colors, the young man smiling charmingly at the camera.  
Jim's traced Riddle's features, his fingers hovering over the moving photograph.  
His little obsession had begun a few months ago, at the beginning of the year.  
He had been lounging comfortably in Slytherin's most comfortable chair near the fire place, playing lazily with his wand, when the Bloody Baron had hovered to his side, smirked, and whispered words that had gotten stuck in Jim's head ever since:  
'You make me think of a student that was here a long time ago... Riddle...he was quite the interesting fellow. '  
The Slytherin wasn't very interested in finding more about the other at first, but he was quickly captivated as he heard more and more about him.  
At first he just asked the other ghosts, not thinking they would have much to say about him...how wrong he was.  
But as he learned more and more about Riddle's genius, a question always stayed firmly lodged in his brain:  
Why wasn't he ruling the world now ?  
Apparently he had been extremely charming as well, but Jim couldn't find any mention of him anywhere in the history books...  
So he was here now, searching the school records and finally finding something.

Sherlock knew Jim would probably come and see him at some point of the night, wether it was in the next hour or three at night he didn't know, he was such an unpredictable person and did a lot of stuff very spontaneously.  
Jim liked to pass time with him much for his surprise, even though it ment he quite often lost the little sleep he maybe would have managed to get because he was running around with Jim or they were cuddling somewhere to fill Jim's need of attention.  
He started to get a little bit bored with his mirrors, and it was already rather late, so he decided to hurry up Jim from whatever he was doing. He casted a talking patronus, a river otter, putting creature of light to sarcastically ask Jim had the door to the Ravenclaw tower finally figured out a riddle Jim couldn't solve. He leaned back, sending the patronus to Jim. If he had a client, he would also get a great deal of amusement from it, but also probably a jinx once Jim decided to appear in his sight, nut he wasn’t worried.

Jim was fully engrossed in the records, reading Riddle’s results and he was quite startled by the otter’s appearance.  
Scoffing, he flung a few hexes at the patronus, knowing they would pass right through the spell but not wanting to hear whatever Sherlock wanted to tell him.  
Knowing the other, he was certainly teasing him about the time it was taking him to come.  
With a huff, he thought to that one time he and Sherlock had spent whole night on the roof of the astronomy tower, Jim pointing the constellations and telling their stories.  
The slytherin smiled fondly at the memory, a silver magpie flying out of his wand and circling around the room before landing on the table, near the records.  
"Believe it or not, I am actually working Sherly, but I'm coming right away you ponce"  
The bird chirped before flying through the walls to find it's target.  
"Alright." he sighed, tearing out Riddle's page before hiding the records at the bottom of his bag, a moving picture falling out of the book as he did so.  
What-  
Riddle and a few boys standing in a protective circle around him, all smiling at the camera, and all seeming very familiar...  
But well, Sherlock was waiting for him.  
He carefully placed the stolen photograph with Riddle's page, between of few pieces of parchment. And left, climbing the stairs leading to the Ravenclaw common room.  
He easily answered the statue's riddle and slipped into the room, looking around, trying to spot Sherlock.

Sherlock smiled pleasedly when he saw Jim's magpie and heard his words, he pet the bird gently before it vanished. Of course he was working, he always worked on something, even though he rarely gave him any details, unless he needed his help or knowledge on something that could be done much quicker with just asking from him, but still gave time to be with him. He didn't mind it at all.  
He got up from his seat, leaving the dorm room and letting his complaining room mates back into there, since he probably would go somewhere else with Jim where there was no other people. He didn't enjoy people's company and neither did Jim, so they had a few special places they went to when they wanted to be on private calmly.  
He got downstairs and leaned on the wall next to the door, waiting patiently for Jim to arrive from the dungeons where he probably was. It took a while to climb all the stairs from down there to the second highest tower in all Hogwarts.  
Once Jim arrived he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and smiled teasingly. "Brilliant Jim. Didn't take more than half an hour from you to figure todays password." He teased, lazily resting his chin on Jim's shoulder.

Jim grinned back at the other in response.  
"Wow really? I counted and I was pretty sure it only took me 2 seconds at most..." he trailed off, faking a thoughtful expression "But well, I guess they do say when you miss someone, a few seconds without them can feel like an eternity..."  
He leaned back into the other's arms, grinning up at him with his head titled backward.  
"Does that mean you missed me Sherly?" Jim asked in exaggerated coyness, batting his eyelashes.

Sherlock moved his hands to be around Jim's stomach, rolling his eyes. "Maybe. Maybe not. You will have to figure that on your own." He shrugged, chuckling a little bit at Jim's expression. He always used so much facial images.  
He pushed Jim to stand on his own and leaned back against the wall. "Any wishes where we will be going?" He questioned. They could go anywhere, they were enough smart to sneak out of the castle without any problem and also to survive in the forbidden forest when they sometimes decided to go there.  
Most that mattered to him was that than he could spend time with Jim, he created him an occupation, and he actually was a person he liked, he was smart and pretty and gave him an escape out of boredom.

Jim pouted dramatically before gently pulling away, getting out of Sherlock's hold.  
"Well... I do need some ingredients for a potion and those can only be found in the forbidden forest, I checked Snape's cupboards and he doesn't have it..." he huffed "I mean, he must have it in his secret storage but I would prefer staying away from it and it's curses unless I have no other choice... So, are you up for it?" Jim asked, turning to face Sherlock again

Sherlock shrugged slightly. "Sure. It's not the full moon so we're will do just good in there." He stated calmly. Jim did quite a lot of potions, and he enjoyed going seeking the ingerients to them with him when he couldn't steal them from Snape  
He shortly touched Jim's hand as he went to get his bag and robes so he wouldn't get cold and got back to him. It wasn't autumn quite yet, but the nights were still a bit chilly, so he prefferred to stay warm. "Now I'm ready to go." He stated, this time properly taking Jim's hand. "What we're looking for?

"A few runespoor eggs... Usually I wouldn't bother to get these as Runespoor are way too annoying to deal with, but someone want Bureffio's Brain Elixir and they are willing to pay quite a lot for that." he lied smoothly.  
Jim did need these eggs for a potion, but it certainly wasn't for this dumb brain elixir...  
No, it was for the same potion that actually required Unicorn blood, the best tracking potion to use when someone didn't have the blood or hair of the person they were looking for.  
Very expensive, extremely dark and impossibly complex to brew, it would take months for it to be done, and that was if he didn't make a single mistake...  
Of course, he believed in his abilities, but even if everything was easy for him, he had to admit Sherlock was better than him when it came to potion...  
Too bad he couldn't tell him about the whole thing.  
He would have to sneak away at some point to get the blood... Or just go back in the forest later that night, that could work.

Sherlock tilted his head slightly, but nodded. He didn't know first of all who would want the elixir in question and also why Jim would bother to make it, when he would probably ruin the mixture atleast a few times with his skills.  
He held on Jim's hand while they got out of the castle, looking around carefully so they wouldn't be caught by Filch or any of the teachers because of sneaking out at that hour.  
Once they got out he got a bit more calm and looked at Jim. "Why you aren't asking me to do it? You would get it quicker to the client and prevent all the from two to six failed attempts you will most likely make." He reasoned as he started to walk towards the forbidden forest.  
Runespoor eggs itself weren't a problem if there was two peoples, since while Jim made sure the planning head didn't see what was happening he could push a few eggs out of the critic's throat, since the middle head probably and hopefully was asleep at that time of the night.

Jim scoffedwhen he heard the other's comment, pulling his hand out of Sherlock's grip.  
"You may be our residing potion genius, but could you stop acting like I make cauldrons explode by touching them?" he huffed, walking a little bit quicker. "I know I repeated that almost every-day for the past seven year, but the fact that YOU manage to make it more effective with less brewing time, doesn't mean that I can't perfectly follow the book's recipe!"  
Sherlock was a potion prodigy, but Jim did get outstandings in that class too, he would have never settled for less, so he was capable of brewing potions for his clients, even if he had to stay up all night to do so.  
The Slytherin decided on ignoring the other until they found the runespoor, walking faster and taking the lead.

Sherlock tilted his head as he listened Jim's rant about his capability of brewing potions. That wasn't normal of him at all. If he offered help on something he could do even better than Jim, especially for free, he should, and alwayd before, has accepted his help right away.  
He started to go trough every potion he knew that runespoor eggs were used on while he followed Jim. The way he was acting was also unusual. Normally he liked to stay very close to him and tell him to keep quiet if he complained about it.  
"You aren't making a Bureffio's Brain Elixir." He stated after a moment, reaching out to grab Jim's hand to stop him, pulling him close. "What are you making? You have two options. Ether it's a tracking potion which I deeply don't recommend you to even try to make, you will only cause harm or you are making the potion to kill your deepest, scariest desire. Which isn't to be honest any better to give to anyone." Sherlock leaned down to Jim's level. "Which one you are making? And why?

They were so close now that Jim could feel the other's breath on his face, and he smiled, his dark eyes appearing black in the night.  
"You want to know what I'm making Sherlock?" he chuckled slightly, staying completely limp in the other's grip.  
"Alright then... What I'm brewing is..." he trailed off, carefully observing the way the moon cast dark shadows on Sherlock's face before leaning even closer and hissing in his ear.  
"None of your business, so back off."  
He pushed the other away, a smile splitting his face in half, revealing too many sharp teeth and jagged edges to look even remotely nice.  
"If you don't want to help me find that runespoor, fine, I'll do it myself." he said before slipping further into the forest, not waiting to see whether or not the other would follow him.

Sherlock sighed when Jim gave him no further information on what he was planning to do. He looked at Jim's smile, shaking his head. He was mental!  
He walked after Jim, defenitely not doing to leave his best friend alone in that kind of sitsuation. "Jim I know you are smart. For no amout of money or fame you should be ready to kill an unicorn, to live only halfly in a cursed form of life. You don't want that. You can't go and destroy a piece of someone's soul either, no matter how much they will pay for it. It will be horrible. You will either ruin your own life with slaughtering an unicorn or make sure neither of us will graduate from here ever and send us both in Azkaban at the time." He spoke while walking after Jim, trying to get him to realize how stupid his plan was no matter which one of the potions he was making.  
He didn't want to end up in Azkaban, and for sure neither did Jim. And killing an unicorn? Jim wouldn't be even himself after that. He would be cursed for the rest of his life, and if he managed to get even one drop of it in his mouth in any form that life was going to last forever.

Jim huffed, not slowing his pace.  
"One, I never said anything about unicorn blood, two, why do you think I would ever drink that, and three, what was that about soul pieces? What the hell are you even talking about?"  
The Slytherin stopped, shaking his head before turning to face Sherlock, pointing his wand at the other boy.  
"Don't answer, I don't even care, just leave me, I'll get the runespoor eggs myself, so I repeat it, just LEAVE!" he yelled the last word, his face twisted in an angry snarl.  
Sherlock would never understand why he was so desperate to find the other genius half-blood, someone that was like him in so many ways...  
The ravenclaw completed him, but Riddle was his splitting image, he needed to know what had happened to him after he left Hogwarts.

Sherlock took his wand and pointed it at Jim just in case he needed to defend himself becaude Jim decided to duel with him. He wasn't ready to leave Jim alone, but he would have to be very careful so he wouldn't have to fight with him. If it was forced he wouldn't like it at all.  
"Jim please calm down. Let's talk this trough. You know I wont get angry or anything. I only want to help you." He spoke very calmly, completely opposite of how Jim was acting. He always just wanted to help him, make sure he was okay and didn't harm himself with magic.  
He twisted his wand, shifting. "Jim you have known me for six years. I wont get angry at you for whatever you are planning to do. I just want to help you with the best of my ability. And if that includes me making sure you don't kill an unicorn I will do that."

That only seemed to anger the Slytherin even more.  
"See!" He exclaimed, his face twisted in rage " You're not even trying to understand! You say that you want to, and then directly talk about stopping me! Believe it or not, I actually know what I'm doing, ever heard of the ziplips charm?"  
Jim scoffed, not wanting for the other to answer.  
"I don't want to live a half life either if that's what you want to know, so that's why I planned everything to avoid it!"  
He kept his wand firmly pointed at Sherlock's chest, ready to cast a spell the moment the other moved.  
"So do yourself a favor and back off, I didn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't understand!" he shook his head before adding, his voice filled with something akin to disbelief.  
"And I was right wasn't I? You don't understand and you don't want to."

Sherlock listened all of Jim's rant before speaking again. "Jim tell me what you are doing. Change my mind. You have always done that. You have always convinced me on every plan you want me in. I know you can change my mind." He shifted again.  
He needed to know what Jim was doing. If he couldn't stop him, he could atleast make sure Jim didn't hurt himself in the process in any way. He couldn't afford loosing Jim.  
"C'mone. I don't understand yet. But for sure you can make me understand. Please. Jim you are my best friend, you know that yourself. I'm not going to let you blow yourself up while you brew a potion you can not do for a fact."

"I convinced you to tag along on every plans I wanted you in? Is that what you said?" he asked softly, his voice lower than a whisper.  
His head was slightly bowed, the moon casting strange shadows on his face, hiding his face.  
Slowly, Jim straightened himself, his dark eyes locking with Sherlock's blue ones.  
"But what if I don't want you to get involved in this one? Can't you respect this?" he lowered his wand, sensing Sherlock his most crestfallen look.  
"Do you really think so little of me? This is important for me and I just want to do this alone... It might take me longer than it would take you, but I will brew this potion and we both know it."  
The Slytherin turned around but didn't walk away.  
"If our friendship means anything to you, you will, for once in your life, respect my privacy."

Sherlock looked back at Jim's eyes, putting his wand way too. He was relieved they atleast wouldn't have any kind of a fight including wands.  
He shifted around multiple times while Jim was speaking. He wanted to make sure his best friend didn't kill himself because of one potion. But at the same time Jim was pushing him into a corner.  
Their friendship ment everything for him, but he didn't want to respect Jim's boundaries now when he was going to a literal suicide trip.  
He looked at Jim's back, walking over to him and hugging him tightly from behind. "Please Jim. If anything, please tell me who are you looking for with the help of this potion, and give me even just a few hours of time to try and figure where they are."

Jim didn't try to escape the embrace, staying completely immobile in the other's arms.  
"I LOOKED Sherlock, I really did ! For months now, and today I found the best lead yet, and it's 50 years old! Most of the people on this damn picture are already dead, this potion is my last solution to find him!" his voiced was laced with anger and exasperation, but now it was directed at himself and not the detective.  
"The man is a ghost, and I mean it almost literally, the one who knew him the best really were the ghosts, but even them have no idea where he disappeared to."  
Jim sighed, leaning backward, closer to Sherlock.  
What if Tom Riddle was already dead?  
Of course he had considered that option, the war against Grindelwald had still been raging when he left school afterall and there was a million other things that could have killed him...  
But the Slytherin didn't want to accept that, couldn't accept that, because if Riddle, half-blood genius had died before becoming anyone, then why couldn't that happen to Jim too?  
There was no way the other hadn't had a great destiny too, but what if genius and magical powers weren't enough?  
What if Jim, like Tom, died before making any difference in this world, their names forgotten for all eternity?  
No, he couldn't accept that, he would find Riddle, wherever he was, and get his answers.

Sherlock nuzzled Jim's neck, holding on him. He didn't want to loose his best friend to the person that wasn't necessarily even alive anymore, and defenitely unavare Jim was looking for him.  
"Name and a few hours Jim. Give me the change to find him for you. So you don't have to do this. If I don't find anything, I promise I will let you do the potion in peace and help whenever you need so you manage. I can't risk loosing you and knowing I did nothing for you." He mumbled close to Jim's ears.  
He would do his absolute best so Jim wouldn't have to do the potion and very likely kill himself, or curse his life in the process.  
He gripped on Jim's shirt tightly. "I can't afford loosing half of my soul because you are gone. It will rip apart, just like when you murder someone, because in my books if I don't try to find another way. I have murdered you."

Jim looked hesitant for a few seconds, pondering whether or not he should actually let the other know who he was looking for or not.  
He paused, still looking ready to refuse, before sighing deeply.  
"Alright, whatever, but don't try to discourage me if you can't find him either, you know that won't work... His name is Tom Riddle, he disappeared in 1944, just after he got his NEWT."  
The Slytherin slipped his hand into his pocket, taking out the picture he had cut away from the rest of Tom's page and showing it to Sherlock.  
It was pretty dark though, so he wordlessly cast a lumos, a ball of light now illuminating the photograph.  
"That's him, the one I want to find... He's an half-blood so that probably won't interest you much, but he was a GENIUS! Just like us! And he disappeared like that, never to be seen again..."  
Jim sighed, looking away from the young man's smirking face.

Sherlock sighed deeply when Jim told him the name finally, he could maybe even manage to figure out who he was. He had to. He couldn't loose Jim because of this one person that could as well be already dead.  
He looked at the picture and frowned a little bit, biting on his lip. "Jim I think I know who he is nowdays. Or who he was. He isn't alive anymore." He shifted. Mycroft had done a lot of dark stuff, and thanks to the age gap they had he had been already an adult by the time the Wizard war was going on. And of course he had found some stuff, and told those things to him for entertainment.  
He was still looking at the picture in Jim's hand. "Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort. He made his name a fucking anagram and decided it was a good idea to enslave muggles. He's dead. You aren't going to be able to talk to him before you yourself die."  
In a way he felt sad that the person Jim was obviously so desparate to see was dead, and the only geniuses in the wizarding world where the two of them. But he was relieved Jim wouldn't have to make the potion or kill an unicorn or any of it.  
"He made an impact on this world but he is no longer here Jim. He have just eachothers. But we will manage, for sure. We can make our own way to the history books. No matter will we be the wizards of light or darkness." He was still holding onto Jim.

Tom Marvolo Riddle  
I am Lord Voldemort  
It was funny, wasn't it, how your view of the world could be shaken so badly with a few words...  
Jim looked back at the picture, scrutinizing the face of the man who would later become the most feared dark Lord of the wizarding history.  
Tom had imprinted himself in reality, had made everyone fear his name...  
But why? Why would the man do that when he could have easily reformed England by becoming minister?  
From the other photo the Slytherin still had in his bag, he knew Riddle had the pure bloods supporting him, from the ghosts, he knew that the whole school had been eating out of his hand by the time he left Hogwarts!  
Riddle had the face of an angel paired with the charm and intelligence to use it, he could have easily ruled the world if he wanted and used the growing prejudices in the wizarding world to enforce the status of secrecy, so why?  
Why did he lose himself like that, exchange pretty words for deadly curses? Why did he force them to bow with fear when they would have kneeled to see him smile?  
Jim didn't understand, and if there was one thing he hated more than anything, it was not understanding something.  
Sherlock's words echoed in his mind, again and again.  
He's dead  
He's dead  
He's dead  
No  
No  
He couldn't be, Jim refused to believe someone like Riddle, even if driven by insanity, would be killed by a one year old boy.  
And well... With what he had discovered by accident in his first year, he was pretty certain the dark Lord wasn't as dead as everyone thought him to be.  
Still, he didn't let his thoughts show on his face, tightly gripping Sherlock's robes.  
"Alright Sherly, I guess there's really no use looking for a dead man... " he sighed.  
The Slytherin wasn't truly lying... There was no use trying to find corpses, but Jim was convinced Tom Riddle wasn't truly dead.  
The potion would be of no use now though, if what he thought was right he would have to find another way to search for him.

Sherlock stayed very stiff and still for the whole time Jim was thinking something. Mostly he just feared Jim wouldn't believe him, and still wanted to make the potion.  
He knew how psssionate Jim was about some things, and obviously he had been so determied to find Riddle. Now it wasn't possible for a fact, dead men tell no tales, no matter how powerful magic Jim would use.  
His whole body relaxed when Jim said he wouldn't do the potion. He hugged his best friend tightly. "Thank you. I know it's dissappointing to know he's not here anymore. But we will always have eachother's. We're equal in mind." He mumbled against his neck.  
He took a few deep breaths before letting Jim go and stepping one step back to actually see him. "How about we go back to the castle before we get killed by something in here? Do somethimg calm." He suggested, shifting. He would still like to spend the night with Jim, as always.

Jim nodded in agreement.  
"Alright... The astronomy tower? I have to make sure you haven't erased the solar system again." He offered, chuckling slightly to lighten the atmosphere.  
He would have liked to continue working on his Riddle project, but honestly, there wasn't much he would be able to do right now...  
There would be only one way to prove that the other was alive, but unfortunately, as no students currently attending Hogwarts had been old enough to get the dark mark during the war, he couldn't do it.  
Pushing the thoughts away, he cast a charming charm around them and took Sherlock's hand.  
"Let's go, I know you don't like the cold Sherly."

Sherlock took Jim's hand without a complain and rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. The solar system is completely okay." He assured calmly.  
He started to head back towards the castle, looking around in case there would be actually something more dangerous than puffikeins on the road. He wouldn't wish to get injured.  
He drew little circles on the back of Jim's hand while they walked. He was still very relieved that Jim wouldn't be doing the potion at all. "Why did you want to find Riddle in the first place? Or who even told you about it?"  
He wasn't completely sure what questions Jim would want to answer, because he had been so extremely secretive in the first place. But he could always try some very simple questions and see how he reacted.

Jim shrugged noncommitaly, walking in silent for a few seconds before answering:  
"The Bloody Baron compared me to him, saying he was an interesting fellow... I guess that just grabbed my attention."  
And if he hadn't been interested already, heating more and more about him from the ghosts and the portraits had definitely fascinated him...  
The silence stretched as they reached the castle, broken by Jim sighing.  
"I guess I wanted to discover what had happened to him since he was an half-blood like me."

Sherlock rubbed Jim's back gently. "You will manage to do great things, even you are a half-blood Jim. Even the current minister of magic isn't pureblood." He assured calmly. He believed Jim could do anything, he had already done a lot of stuff.  
He carefully slipped back into the castle and satyed quiet for the time they climb up all the way to the astronomy tower. "You defenitely wont be forgotten. Poor Olliwanders with his OCD will remember you atleast." He commented with a smile.  
He took his wand and created them a ladder so they could climb on the roof to look at the starts. Or Jim would look at them, he wasn't interested.

Jim laughed when he heard Sherlock's comment, climbing on the roof after him and transfiguring a pebble into a blanket so that they had something to sit onto.  
He laid on the plaid, keeping Sherlock's hand in his own.  
"Oh by the way, just remembered that I wanted to ask you, but are you going to the annual Yule gala at the Malfoy's? I have a bit of networking to do but I would prefer having at least one intelligent conversation partner." he said with a grin, ignoring the stars in favor of Sherlock .

Sherlock sat down next to Jim and put his hand over his shoulders. He tilted his head back and groaned at the question. "I would wish not to go, Lucius is one of the most obnoxious persons I know. But yes. I will be there, so atleast I have a reason why I don't have to be with my brother." He stroked Jim's hair lazily while he spoke.  
"Atleast I will get to see you in fancy clothes." He stated, giving a smile to Jim. He was always fancy, and even broke the clothing rules to be even more fancy than the uniform made him. But Jim looked very nice in actual dress robes too.

Jim leaned back, letting his head fall onto Sherlock's shoulder.  
He idly gazed at the stars, enjoying the contrast between the other's warmth and the brisk air around them.  
"Thanks Sherly, I'm glad I won't have to suffer through Fudge's rambling alone... Lucius might be annoying, but at least he knows better than to talk to much most of the time, unlike our dear minister..." He chuckled a bit befote adding :  
"I really don't know how your brother manage to support them all the time, it's already painful to hear them speak for more than 5 minutes, so actually working with them..." he shuddered in mock horror, grinning widely.

Sherlock chuckled a bit at Jim's acting, playing with his hair lazily. "He says it's a talent. I don't think he listens a shit what the minister says. He's basically running the wizarding world anyway." He stated.  
He was quite pleased he would have company at the party, especially the company of Jim. He had come a far way to actually get an invited to there because of his parents. "You are doing brilliant. You go there because they know you are good. I go there mostly because I'm a Holmes." He complimented lazily, yawning. They didn't have anything to do that night, so they would probably emd up sleeping on the roof for the fun of it.

Jim also yawned, starting to get a bit tired.  
Usually he was able to stay up a lot longer, but since he hadn't slept the ast night, he felt ready to pass out any minute now.  
Really, planning reality bending pranks was a bit tieing when you had to make sure no one knew it was you.  
"It's not like they are inviting you only for your family, it's true that the Holmes have a great political cloud, but everyone knows just how smart you are Sherly~" he sing sang drowsily, nuzzling into the other's arms.

Sherlock smiled slightly at Jim, stroking his hair. He transfigured himself a pillow, Jim would probably be on top of him so he didn't need one, and a blanket.  
He lied down, pulling Jim down with him. "How about we get a few hours of sleep now when it's still dark. And thank you. I know I'm smart." He spoke lazily, he was rather tired too, he had often other things to do than sleep.  
He took his wand again and casted a protective bubble around them so they wouldn't slide down from the roof while sleeping or get hypothermia out of the cold wind.

Jim grinned before nodding in agreement, too tired to tease Sherlock about his boast.  
He half sprawled himself over the ravenclaw, nuzzling into him and using him as much as a pillow than as a heat source.  
"Should I put an alarm or do you want to do it? As much as I would like to stay here all day, I do need to do my prefect patrols you know?" he whispered, already half asleep.  
It would be a shame to forget the perfect reputation James 'Jim' Moriarty had managed to forge for himself afterall.

"I will make an alarm." Sherlock promised calmly, taking his wand the last time and casted them an alarm so Jim wouldn't miss his duties.  
He rubbed Jim's back gently, not bothering to complain about him being on top of him. It was nothing new and he really didn't mind it that much.  
"Good night Jimmy." He mumbled to the slytherin gently, calmly closing his eyes. It would probably take him some time to fall asleep but he would atleast give Jim the peace to sleep when he obviously was tired. They both had awful sleeping rhythm so he understood it

"G'night Sherly." The smaller mumbled, holding Sherlock like a teddy bear.  
Unlike usual where he would need to recite pi's decimals for hours before finding sleep, he drifted almost immediately, his breathing slowing and his hold over the ravenclaw relaxing.  
He almost immediately regained his bearings in his dreams though, and he entered his mind palace, using lucide dreams as a way of continuing his research.  
Of course, he couldn't gain new informations in here, but that could sometimes help him plan in advance or see a situation from a new perspective.

It took Sherlock a good half an hour more before he fell asleep. For that time he simply looked at the starts, and stroked Jim's hair while admiring him for ones without getting any kind of comments.  
He didn't bother to do anything in his sleep even he ended up having a lucide dream as always. He only wanted rest for that night, and they had only a few hours time to sleep anyway.  
Of course he could have tried to think further his prankster case, but he wasn't really interested on it at that moment. And his body needed actual rest too, so making his brains work double even when asleep wasn't necessarily the best idea.  
He stayed in his lucide dream for the whole REM part of his sleep, even though he didn't do anything specific at any point. At the morning he woke up on the alarm he had put, reaching out to get hid wand and shut the noise.


	3. Romantic death wishes and illegal magic

The noise woke Jim too, forcefully bringing him back to reality.  
"Good morning Sherly." He mumbled, stretching lightly in an effort to wake himself.  
Still half asleep, he passed his hand through his hair, trying to tidy the complete mess it had turned into.  
Once he didn't look that frazzled anymore, he stood up, flicking invisible speks of dust from his robes .  
"I'm going to the prefect bathroom ... Catch you later?"

Sherlock reached down and ruffled Jim's hair. "Yes. Divination, right? Let's see how you will die this week." He smiled slightly. Professor Trelawney loved to predict Jim's death and nothing still had happened to him. He was aware that Jim probably would die rather young, and he had accepted that fact, but it probably wouldn't happen just yet. Jim would defenitely do something meaningful and big before dying.  
He would probably stay at the roof for a moment and then just go get his bag and change clothes. His hair was already normally a mess, and more dry than Sahara he wouldn't even try to do anything to it. It could be however it had settled.

Jim glared playfully at Sherlock when the other ruffled his hair before levitating himself down the roof and in the corridor.  
He skipped along the halls, reaching the prefect bathroom in a record time.  
He took time to prepare himself, making sure his appearance was as perfect as always before leaving and climbing the stairs leading to the divination classroom.  
Once he was there, he looked around , waiting for his friend.

Sherlock did all his own stuff, knowing it would take him about the same time as for Jim to get himself fancy looking. Jim always took his time to make himself look very fancy, and he didn't mind it at all. To be literal, his friend was more pretty than handsome, even it didn't matter. He still got whatever he wanted with some manipulation and his looks.  
Once he was done he went to the diviation class room, spotting his slytherin friend and going to sit next to him. He crossed his legs and leaned back. The only thing he liked in the divination classroom were all the chouches, armchairs and pillows. Somethimg comftrable to sit on. And of course Jim had claimed them one whole couch at the third year when they started, even they could perfectly fit in just one armchair since Jim liked to be so close.  
"Well. Any ideas how will you be dying this week?" He questioned, kracking his knuckles lazily. He knew Jim actually somewhat liked divination, but that didn't change that the teacher most defenitely faked most of his predictions and looked like a shining bug.

Unlike when they were alone, Jim tried to keep his closeness to Sherlock a bit more discreet, acting like he was looking at the crystal ball to lean closer to the ravenclaw.  
Even if it was about his ultimate demise, the other's question made him chuckle and he shrugged before answering.  
"Well, it's been pretty long since she predicted something gore, so at least we know it'll be pretty gruesome!" he exclaimed with a grin.  
"I'm betting on a suit of armor going berserk and dismembering me, what do you think? Still too soft?"

Sherlock stroked Jim's back with his fingertips in a very suttle way. He didn't bother to have any more rumors that he and Jim were dating. They were simply just close to eachother.  
He smiled slightly at Jim's guess, shrugging slightly. "I think it sounds quite good. Wonder when you will get the Grimm. She will probably pass out if she sees it in your tea cup though." He stated. He himself didn't really believe in divination much, but for example he would listen and pick cards for Jim if he so asked.  
"It would be quite plain though. You should die dramatically, not because of a ghost dog decided to haunt you." He shook his head. Jim was way too fancy and extra to die out of a heart attach or something like that.

Jim chuckled when he heard Sherlock's comment, his voice laced with amusement:  
"What, you have some idea for my death?"  
He leaned closer, a predatory grin on his face, and whispered in the other's ear:  
"What about you killing me Sherlock? Would it be dramatic enough?"  
How would he do it? Squeeze his neck? Keep his head underwater too long like Carl Power almost did? Cast an Avada Kedavra, the green spell leaving his wand to impact with Jim's chest?  
No... Too muggle, or too impersonal...  
Throw him out of the astronomical tower one day then, wouldn't that be beautiful?  
The galaxies around them, the constellations in Sherlock eyes, the stardust sprinkled on his lips and the push, the tiniest little push that would send James Moriarty over the edges.  
Then the fall, like he was falling off the world, surrounded by the stars, encompassed by the night, the never-ending fall and it's permanent destination.  
If Jim closed his eyes, he could see it as clear as day, the smile on Sherlock's face, getting further and further away every seconds, and the endless, infinite space all around them...  
Wouldn't it be beautiful? He wouldn't mind dying like that, watching Sherlock in the stars' glow as he fell.

Sherlock carefully brushed his fingers over Jim's cheek and smiled slightly at his suggestion. "For sure it would be dramatic." He nodded, moving his hand down to Jim's back.  
"Though I have no intentions on killing you atleast for the time being." He stated. He had just the day before prevented Jim from going to a suicide trip to find a dead man. It would be just weird if he now decided it was a good time to kill his best friend.  
"What are you thinking? How should I kill you if I so decide?" He hummed, leaning back to check that no one was actively listening to them. He didn't need to give anyone ideas that they were actually going to kill eachothers or simply get some kind of trauma from hearing their conversation.

Jim grinned, his dark eyes shining in glee.  
"I thought of you pushing me off the astronomical tower, directly into the night sky." He whispered before frowning slightly "but that would mean we would still be in seventh year and that just can't do..."  
He stayed silent for a few seconds, lost in thoughts, before a wide smile, filled with sharp teeth and jagged edges, split his face in half.  
"I know! After years of travelling the world and making myself known, I would return Hogwarts as the astronomy teacher in order to murder Dumbledore... You would be the one assignated to the case, we would play together for months circling around eachother like we always do, and finally, on New Year's Eve, we would dance on the roof of the astronomical tower..."  
Jim trailed off, his smirk somehow widening.  
"And then, as the clock struck the start of a new year, you would make me twirl away from you and I would fall."  
He finished his little tale, scrutinizing Sherlock's reaction, his pupils blown wide.

Sherlock calmly listened Jim's tale of how his life would end, smiling slightly. For sure all of it would be fancy and perfect as Jim told, if his story was to happen.  
He watched Jim calmly. He always looked near maniac when he was excited or pleased with his creation. Jim was very facinating all together, he could be so affectionate and close to him when in private, and still be able to prove over and over again that he really was a dark wizard with psycopathy.  
He smirked slightly as Jim finished, tracing his fingers over his cheek gently. He looked so excited about death, as always. "Sounds very fancy. And just enough dramatic for you. We will just have to see will that plan happen."

Jim grinned again, sitting a little bit further from the other when he heard Trelawney enter the room.  
Like always in this class, the scent of candles was so strong it was almost nauseating, strange aromas permeating the air around them and somehow getting even more unbearable when the teacher came in.  
With a flick of his fingers, Jim cast an invisible bubble charm around their head, protecting them from the pungent smell.  
"What were we supposed to do today? Tea? Or crystal balls again? I'm afraid I didn't pay attention to what she was saying last week."  
Not like he ever listened to her course...  
He just predicted his gruesome death every times in order to get Outstandings.

Sherlock sighed slightly when finally his nose wasn't filled with the awful mix of probably every sented candle possible. He didn't enjoy it at all. He thanked Jim quietly.  
He tapped his fingers on his knee, wearing down the already thin spot on his school trousers. "I didn't listen. You know I never listen. She will probably tell." He shook his head. She never gave anything useful information anyways. Expect of course Jim's death prediction for the week.  
He listened with half an ear while the teacher explained. "Tarot. You can do that." He stated. He wasn't much interested on divination really, he just wanted to be with Jim, and he defenitely didn't have 'an inner eye' at all.  
His mind was harsh logic and what he saw, not something that might or might not happen told by a ball of mist in a ball.

Jim grinned, taking out his deck of cards from his bag with a flourish and starting to shuffle it.  
Since this time they were supposed to find out about their future, unlike last week where they had needed to do a tarot reading about their past, Jim would just take out three cards and find a way to predict his death with them...  
One, two, three.  
The lovers, the devil and death.  
Oh.  
Well, predicting his death isn't going to be that hard with catds like these...  
Sure, the first one is universally thought as pretty positives, but the other two?  
They were bad omens through and through.  
The Slytherin smirked before showing his cards to Sherlock.  
"Do you want to predict my death or should I come up with something myself?"

Sherlock took his own deck and started to shuffle the cards, leaving Jim in complete peace for a moment. They would just be playing the cards for full two hours.  
He actually didn't know much about divination at all. He knew what all the cards ment, and since they were predicting future he could just build up something dramatic from them.  
He picked his own cards. The hanged man, the wheel of fortune and the magician. He defenitely could come up with something.  
He leaned closer to Jim as he showed his cards. "You could tecnically just recap the dancing in the roof." He shrugged slightly. It would work.  
He gave Jim his card to look at. "What fo you think? What kind of stuff I should come up with?" He hummed, purposely leaning a bit on Jim, with the excuse if looking at the same cards.

"I guess I should leave your name out of it though... We wouldn't want Trelawney to wonder why I romantize about you killing me... And knowing her, she would just use it as her new favorite plot for my death." Jim scoffed, taking out his quill and starting to recap his future death, taking out the bit about Sherlock and Dumbledore's murder.  
Traveling through the world, meeting a dashing man with pale eyes and dark curls-  
The devil, with ornate horns and a wicked grin, holding out his hand in invitation.  
Them walking different ways and only seeing eachother again in Hogwarts-  
The lovers, young and beautifully tragic, fate's favorite toys.  
Dumbledore's murder was now a tragic accident, as was his own fall-  
Death, holding a scythe, ethereal and emotionless.  
Flying to the permanent destination, a broken body lying on the ground.  
He made sure to be graphic, describing everything, from the devil's beauty to the way he fell.  
Once he was finished, he looked back at Sherlock, grinning.  
"Well, you don't have to predict your own death unlike me, so... Hmm... " he glanced at the cards "you have the hanged man so you could still place my death in there for extra credit, but I guess you can go wild with the rest?"

Sherlock nodded slightly at Jim's analysation, setting the cards down on the table and taking out his ink, quill and parchment. He tapped his knee again while thinking, he could do a lot with the cards he had picked.  
A beautiful human being tricks to believing love is precent-  
The magician, creating an illusion of love and loyalty.  
Illusion of love breaks, the beautiful human running away from real love and breaking the loving one's mind-  
The wheel of fortune, landing on bad luck and taking everything worth living out of the world.  
The beautiful human laying on the ground, bones crushed and body disfigured. Shedding tears of pain and moving on, the love was an illusion.-  
The hanged man, teaching peace in mind.  
He reached out and took Jim's paper from him to read it, giving his own to him to read too. It was always a competition of creativity.

Jim hummed softly as he was reading Sherlock's writing, enjoying the way the story unraveled.  
Was the ravenclaw also speaking about them?  
Probably...  
Jim shrugged internally, waiting until the other had finished reading his paper to give it to Trelawney.  
They should probably call her so that she could see their cards though... Hopefully she would faint and they would be able to leave the class a lot sooner.

Once Sherlock was done reading he gave the paper back to Jim and nodded slightly. "Very fancy and poetic. As always." It wasn't probably the best way to comment death, but it was Jim "dying" so it was okay.  
He leaned back lazily, running his fingers down the line of Jim's spine. Jim was enough thin for him to see some of his bones. He was too. Sleeping anf eating properly didn't really work out when the mind was working 24/7 without a break.  
Sherlock reached out and gathered all the cards he hadn't picked neatly back together from the table where he had speared them, just to be somewhat clean, even he normally didn't care at all.

Jim grinned happily when he heard Sherlock's compliment, leaning slightly on the other to whisper.  
"I have to admit yours wasn't that bad either Sherly~"  
He sat a little further when he saw the teacher come nearer.  
In order to see her reaction, the Slytherin had made sure to display his cards right in the middle of the middle, where she wouldn't be able to miss them.  
Her reaction didn't disappoint and Jim had to hide his face in Sherlock's scarf to keep from laughing out loud.  
Hopefully, it'll look like he was crying over his horrible death and not guffawing.  
Trelawney saw the cards and jumped away like a startled cat, letting out a strange sound, mix between a gasp and a shriek.  
"Oh poor child! Poor child!" she repeated, steeping nearer to examine the cards.

Sherlock kept his face neutral as the teacher finally came over. He was a bit surprised by Jim's sudden unability to keep a straight face. He rubbed his back gently as if to comfort him.  
He enjoyed the show of the teacher loosing her mind over Jim's tragic death. It was always so funny. Jim was going to be okay for now without a doubth, atleast for the time they were still in Hogwarts.  
He leaned slightly back and leaned close to Jim's ear to whisper to Jim. "Good work darling." He mumbled into the slytherin's ear before lifting his head back up to watch at the show. It was amusing as ever.  
He let his fingers dance absently on Jim's back for ones when it was socially acceptable. He could kind of understand the people but now it was purely to "comfort" Jim.

Jim finally let go of Sherlock, keeping his face distraught.  
All of the students here new that the Slytherin Prince always overreacted in the divination class to go along with whatever Trelawney was saying, so no one was really surprised when crocodile tears welled up in his eyes.  
"You really think this is going to happen professor?" he asked in faked horror, easily slipping into the new persona.  
The teacher gave him what was supposed to be a sympathetic look before taking the devil card and holding it out in front of her.  
"Poor Jim... Poor innocent child... You are fated to die young I'm afraid!"  
The Slytherin gasped dramatically, before faking a faint in Sherlock's arms

Sherlock watched after Jim slightly, playing along with him. He was the person close to him. He had to flight not sighing when Jim decided to fake fainting on his lap.  
He picked Jim up the bridal style and informed to take him to the hospital wing. He took their bags and got out og the classroom rather quickly.  
Once they were enough far away he put Jim down and gave him his bag. "You are such a drama queen Jim." He shook his head, brushing away the tears Jim had created for the role. But they had got out of class which was a nice thing.  
"Now what would you wish to do for the next hour and a half when we have to do nothing?" He leaned against the wall and tapped his feet on the floor.

Jim grinned, taking his bag when the other handed it.  
"I am and you love it, don't deny it Sherly~" he sing sang, bouncing slightly on the ball of his feet.  
"And right now? Hmm..." The Slytherin trailed off, lost in thoughts.  
He had planned to get them out of the divination class, but not what they would do afterwards...  
"I get we could go back into our little secret room... I was experimentation with a new spell and I know you've been working on one too, so we could just continue that unless you have a better idea." he offered

Sherlock watched Jim calmly. Shrugging at his suggestion. "We could. And you have also plenty of time to cuddle now, so out whole night doesn't go on you lying on me." He stated.  
He put his hand over Jim's shoulders and took his hand, leading him to their room calmly. "What kind of spell you are working on?" He asked while they walked.  
Jim always made some quite interesting spells, even quite often they were dark magic which sadly ment that they would have to be kept a secret.  
He stroked Jim's knuckles with his thumb gently. Both of them were very bony from the bad eating habits so he could quite clearly feel all of Jim's bones. But it was okay. Neither of them were severly underweight.

Jim leaned into the other's hand, humming slightly when he felt him stroke his fingers.  
"Oh, I think you'll like it !" he exclaimed, grinning wickedly "It's a spell that makes the target vividly live every kind of death you can imagine in their head, again and again until the spell is lifted! I have a variant where your victim actually suffers physical damage with the spell, but I find it less interesting since you end up with a dead corpse afterwards..."  
As he talked, the Slytherin continued walking toward the sixth floor, taking as many secrets passage as he could to shorten their journey

"Sounds interesting. Don't even try to do it on me before asking first though or you cab be sure I wont sleep with you in the same bed next week at all." Sherlock warned calmly. He had realized ages ago the best way yo threaten Jim was denying him all the physical affection he was normally given, which was an awful lot.  
He didn't wish to suddenly experience multiple deaths in his mind without any kind of warning or preparation. And even Jim would probably think it was funny he still should have some kind of sense of what was okay and what was not when he also had set a threat to put on if he decided to do the spell without discussion first.  
They got the right hallway and he made the door and room for them, opening the door for Jim, giving him a mocking bow as always.

Jim pouted dramatically.  
"Oh, you really trust me so little that you feel the need to threaten me in order to be sure I won't curse you in the back?" he twisted his face in an expression of exaggerated hurt, holding his hand over his heart in mock shock.  
"I thought we had something special Sherly!"  
He grinned when the other opened the door, dropping the act and holding it open with a flourish like he always did.  
"But really, I mean it, I would probably cast it on myself or someone annoying me, but not you Sherlock." the slytherin said seriously, not even using his pet name for the other.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at Jim's dramatic act of being hurt. He was always like that when he gave any kind of negative comment. But it was mostly just funny so it was okay.  
He closed the door to the room after them and looked at Jim calmly, since he obviously wasn't joking around. He stroked his hair gently and kissed his forehead. "I'm just overly careful Jim. I do trust you not to curse me. It's just in case your mood changes and you get impulsive. You have cursed me before because of your awfully changeable personality."  
He brushed his fingers over Jim's cheek before sitting down on the couch and reaching out to get one of the mirrors he had wished to be in the room. He took his wand, twisting it on his hand while he though about the spell and how he should build it.

Jim frowned, pulling away.  
"Stop calling it that, you sound like you want to blame someone else for my mood changes." He watched Sherlock cast spells from afar for a few seconds before sighing.  
He looked at the ceiling, silently watching the stars the room had created above their head, looking like the fake sky displayed in the great hall.  
"If anything, I'm bipolar."  
He jumped from manic episodes to depressive ones, sometimes feeling like he could rule the world and acting recklessly while he didn't even see the point of living the rest of the time.  
He had always been a peculiar child but the disorder had started showing itself after Carl's murder, and he hadn't been completely the same ever since.

"And you defenitely are bipolar. I have been makikg sure for the last six years that you go to classes and don't drown yourself when you are having a depressive episode." Sherlock stated while keeping his eyes on the mirror. He had done quite a lot of work to keep Jim alive with his moods.  
"And thinking finding the Ravenclaw diadem for me as a gift and various other things defenitely are manic episodes." He continued. He looked up to Jim shortly and tapped the place on couch next to him. "Want to come here?" He suggested. He was enough close to the solution nothing would explode so it was just safe for Jim to be close.  
He casted a spell, and took a little rock from the table, dropping it on the glass. It went in, that had already happened, but it also didn't come out of any of the other mirrors like he wanted.

Jim grinned when he remembered all the things he had brought Sherlock during his manic episodes.  
In a way, he was very much like his magpie patronus, looking for shiny treasures and bringing them back to his nest...  
Chuckling, he stepped nearer, watching what the other was doing.  
The rock fell, disappearing into the mirror...  
And disappointedly didn't come out from the other one.  
Surprised by the failure, Jim took the first mirror in his hands, examining it.  
"Are you working on a spell to link two random mirrors, or a way to create two mirrors that can only link with each other ?" he asked, imagining the arithmetic equations the other could have used in the two cases

"Two, specific mirrors. This one and-" Sherlock reached out, taking another mirror from the table and giving it to Jim. "That one. I get the rock in but not out." He shook his head.  
He tapped his wand on his knee and thought about it. "I want the link to be permanent, so you don't have to cast it again, and so it works on both ends." He told Jim. Working together was always good if one of them was stuck on something. He had helped Jim before multiple times and vice versa. They very much got advantage on being friends.  
He did want to make the spell to work. It mostly ment he could talk with Jim much quicker than patronuses or owls when they could drop the letters into the mirror.

"Have you tried writing runes on the mirrors and then infusing them with magic?" he asked, still frowning slightly "I know that's not a spell like you're trying to do, but if you only want to link those two together, then using runes will be the easiest solution I think..."  
He levitated the mirror in the air, trying to see where they could write the symbols if Sherlock decided to go with that method.  
"I know runes are pretty annoying to deal with when you want to mass product an object, but if you only want to create two,it shouldn't take that long, and since it will be carved in the mirrors, it should be permanent."  
Runes were pretty useful in spell creation, as was arithmancy.  
Jim usually preferred the latter, but he had to admit the former were pretty useful too.

Sherlock looked at the mirror while he though about Jim's suggestion. Runes could be a possibility too, to link the mirrors together. But he would still have to work on the spell though.  
He stroked Jim's hair and gave him a smile. "That's quite a good idea. Want to do the runes for me?" He suggested. He was a bit lazily, and it would entertain Jim. And Jim knew runes a bit better than him anyway, it would be quicker.  
He defenitely did want to have the mirrors, because using owls as a form of talking in the holidays was disgustingly slow. The mirrors would be so quicker. And also getting stuff to eachoter inside of Hogwarts if both of them were busy.

Jim grinned, taking out his carving knife out of his bag and making it twirl between his fingers.  
"You're lucky I like walking around with this thing." He said before putting down the mirror on the table and sitting next to it, using a pencil to lightly sketch the runes he would need to carve on a piece of paper.  
He usually didn't need that extra step, but since Sherlock was asking for a completely new thing, he would have to create new associations between the runes and arrange them correctly so that they didn't clash with eachother, causing an explosion when the mirrors were used.  
He got to work, using softly a muggle song as he did so.  
"Don't stop me now~" the Slytherin sang along as he wrote another rune down.

Sherlock just smiled pleasedly and ruffled Jim's hair, but also fixed it back for him.  
He knew Jim liked anything relatively dangerous, so of couse he had a knife in his bag. It wasn't such a big surprise. And also the shiny aspect. Jim was overly obsessed on shiny things especially when he had manic episodes.  
"I wont stop you." He assured calmly, resting his elbows on his knees and looking at Jim's work. Atleast he knew he was going to get the job very neatly done. Jim was such a fancy person.  
He listened to Jim singing calmly. He didn't recognize it which ment it was very likely a muggle song. But Jim had a rather weird taste in music anyway so it was okay. He wouldn't stop him from singing.

Jim chuckled slightly when he heard the other's comment shaking his head.  
"That was the song doofus, I know you're not going to stop me!" he smiled fondly before adding "You should really listen to those songs, I know muggles are not your cup of tea but their music is great!"  
Jim had enchanted an old gramophone so that it could play records without needing electricity when he was in third year, it hadn't been one of his best work since he had just started studying runes at that time, but it worked, and the thing hadn't left the slytherin's room ever since.  
He would always buy or steal muggles record during the summer holiday and bring them to Hogwarts with him for the rest of the year, listening to same music again and again.  
During the first years, he didn't have that much records so the whole thing got boring pretty fast, but as he grew older, his collection also expanded exponentially, and now it was quite enormous...  
He shook his head, trying to get the tune out of his head, and got back to his work.

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "I'm not a doofus Jimmy. I'm simply not educated on your music taste and obsessively huge collection of records." He shook his head calmly.  
He leaned back, letting Jim work in peace with the runes so it wouldn't be fucked up. He had already blown up multiple mirrors while trying to create the perfect spell for his needs.  
He wad very pleased Jim helped him, since he got some things so much faster done, including playing around and doing precice work with a knife. He was more into the playing around stuff.  
Jim did the runes and transfigurations that had specific rules when he focused more on potions and spells where he could be creative. They both of course did dark magic also, but it was also different between them. He used spells to make things easier for him, and not as boring and dull, as when Jim did dark magic to create himself a reputation and power. He understood him, a genius needed people's attention to be a genius, so reputation was needed, which they both also luckily had.

Jim grinned but didn't add anything, working in relative silence for the following minutes, singing a few Queen's songs before quietening down when the drawing got more intricate.  
He could focus even with music on of course, but he tended to concentrate on only one thing when he was in that mindset, so singing was out questions.  
An hour later, he had finished carving the first mirror and he held it out in front of him, watching it catch the light.  
"We can't be sure unless we test them out when they will be both carved, but that doesn't look bad, does it?"  
And the runes would look even prettier when the infused magic would make them glow...  
He settled the first mirror on the table and put the second in front of him.

Sherlock worked on the spell in his mind while Jim was carving the mirror, paying very little to no attention on him for both of their sake.  
He tapped his knee, wearing out the fabric on the spot as always, he would have to get new ones soon so he didn't really care that much about it though.  
He focused back on the reality when he heard Jim speaking, looking at the runes on the mirror, nodding slightly. "I don't see any mistakes. So we will just have to hope this try goes good." He stated. He was quite impressed with the detail Jim did his work, and didn't mind it at all.  
He was aware Jim appreceated easthetically pleasing things, which included runes glowing in magic. He didn't care much how his anything looked, but all Jim's stuff defenitely was pretty and well thought.

Jim grinned before starting to carve the second mirror, replicating the others runes on some places but having to change them completely on other.  
However, since he didn't have to do the whole sketch step again, this time it went a lot quicker and it only took him half an hour to finish the whole thing.  
"I'm done!" he chirped, handing the second mirror to Sherlock.  
Since the runes needed to be infused at the same time, it would be easier if the ravenclaw helped him for this step.

Sherlock smiled pleasedly when Jim was done and took the mirror. He took his wand and twisted it in his hand.  
He was very excited to get the mirrors to finally maybe get to work properly. He had broken already so many mirrors with bad spells and he was so close to getting it done.  
He quickly checked the runes to make sure Jim hadn't accidently made mistakes popping up to his eyes and that everything made sense, since at this point it still could be fixed but not after the magic was in there.


	4. Feels and Rat Guts

"Ready?" Jim asked with a grin, tightly holding the other mirror.  
Infusing an object with magic was said to be one of the hardest part of runes since you couldn't use your wand, but for wizards who could control their magic as well as Sherlock and him could, it was child's play.  
As he waited for the other's agreement, the Slytherin's fingers started to emit a dark crimson glow, quickly becoming darker as the seconds passed, until it wasn't a light at all and more of a pitch black fume than anything.  
When he was younger, his magic had been a lot lighter, the color of freshly shed blood, but as his use of dark magic increased, his magic darkened considerably, becoming more twisted and vicious.  
It was pretty fortunate that he had enough control over it to make it appear a light red when he was in ancient runes class because he preferred not having to explain why his magic was almost black...  
But well, the pure magic was only visible when one used it alone, without casting a specific spell, so no one out of the Slytherin's house except Sherlock of course, knew what it really looked like.

Sherlock nodded slightly when Jim questioned him. He didn't do magic without his wand too often, but it didn't mean he couldn't do it perfectly when needed.  
He mostly focused on his own mirror so he wouldn't mess up with the magic, just occasionally peeking how Jim was doing. Not that he wouldn't trust him to do it perfectly.  
When Jim's magic was darkness, his wasn't quite the same. His magic was blue, starting from the color of his eyes and darkening along the seconds moved. It didn't get completely black at any point, the blue could be seen in proper lighting.  
He remember when as children their magic had been lighter. His had been actual blue, quite a light shade, and Jim's red. That didn't happen anymore. Jim was a dark wizard, without a doubht, and his magic matched who he was, so did his. He wasn't quite as bad as Jim, but he wasn't anywhere near to be good either.  
He smiled pleasedly, when they got everything done, and nothing had exploded, meaning everything in the runes had been done right. The mirror was quite heavy now, he had been always quite interested how some magic made objects weight more. He looked up to Jim, grinning pleasedly. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem Sherly."  
He put down the mirror and the table and stretched lightly, relaxing the muscles that had tensed after staying in the same position for too long.  
The Slytherin cast a quick tempus and frowned when he saw the time.  
"The divination class will be over in a few minutes and we still have to go to the dungeons for potions... Snape wouldn't say anything if we're late, what with you being a potion genius and me being his darling Slytherin prefect, but it would still be best if we weren't..."  
He shook his head, disgruntled.  
"I would have liked to test the mirrors now though... Any idea of a quick experience we could try to see of everything works alright?" Jim asked, leaning on the wall.

Sherlock leaned back lazily and stretched, flexing his fingers. Staying in an exactly same position for minutes wasn't really made for a human body, but he could easily manage with it.  
He listened Jim halfly, he would like to be at potions for the full class, even he would manage to brew whatever they were doing in half of the time other students needed. He enjoyed potions, and he also knew he was good at it. He had ditched his text book ages ago because he didn't really have any need to have it. He wasn't going to follow the instructions anyway because they weren't even good. He would get the ingredients and somewhat direction what he should do from Jim's book, so there was no mind on him wasting money on a book he wouldn't even use.  
"We can just try dropping a rock." He gave Jim his mirror to hold, and took a small rock from the table, dropping it trough the glass, so atleast it went in. He looked at the other mirror, hoping they had done everything right and it worked properly. Carving runes, even from Jim took a lot of time and he wouldn't wish for him to do it again at some point just to save him for the bother.

The rock went right through the other mirror and Jim whooped in excitement, not bothering to hide his glee in front of Sherlock like he did in front of everyone else.  
His perfect ice prince persona was useless in front of the other anyway, so he didn't bother trying to put up the mask.  
"We'll try with a living subject after the class right?" the Slytherin asked with a grin, putting his carving knife back into his bag and flinging it on his shoulder.  
"We should go now though, we can get in the dungeons pretty fast with the secret passages, but we have a reputation to uphold so we can't be late... At least I can't, I don't know about you Mr Holmes~" he sing-sang, ready to leave but still waiting for the other near the door.

Sherlock smiled pleasedly when the rock went trough, smiling at Jim's excitement too. He was rather enthuastic about the things they managed to do in private, and he didn't really mind it. He reached out and took his bag too, putting his mirror in there.  
"Sure." He nodded to Jim's suggestion. He didn't think they would be sending anything living trough the mirror but they could always do experiements. And he knew it would entertain Jim.  
He chuckled slightly at Jim's tease, reaching out to get his hand and stepping out of the room, watching to make sure the door wanished. "I do care about my reputation Jimmy dear. And yours too. Can't let the Slytherin prince be late from class." He teased back. He started to walk towards the dungeons, using all the secret passageways they knew to shorten the trip.

Jim intertwined their fingers, casting a subtle warming charm around them as they got deeper and deeper into the castle.  
The dungeons were always a bit chilly after all, and even if he was used to the cold and didn't mind it that much, he knew Sherlock preferred warmer temperatures.  
The ravenclaw's comment made him chuckle softly but he didn't add anything, humming another muggle song as they walked through the halls.  
When they finally arrived in the dungeons, Jim noticed that the class' door was already open.  
Since Snape didn't have any students before them, he was often working in his private chambers, but apparently, he had decided to prepare a little bit their next class today...  
"Oh, Mr Holmes and Mr Moriarty, do come in." said the man when he saw them approach.  
"I assume your colleagues will arrive in a few minutes but since you take potions as seriously as they should be taken, I see no harm in letting you start earlier."  
Snape gestured to the blackboard where he had written the day's potion... Amortentia.

Sherlock smiled slightly as Jim casted a charming spell, enjoying staying in a steady temperature even they went down the stairs towards the dungeons.  
He walked with Jim into the class, letting go of his hand and going over to their working spot with a little nod as they got the permission to start.  
He looked over to the blackboard. Amortentia. He had never done it before, he had had no need for it, but he knew the basic idea and what do on with what ingredients. Nothing hard for him to do. He was mostly curious what he would be smelling, and what Jim would smell.  
He set up the cauldron and looked over to Jim. "Want to go get all the ingredients we need?" He suggested. One of them would have to be next to the cauldron at any time to make sure the water didn't get too hot for the potion anyway. So both of them couldn't leave at the same time.

Jim nodded, starting to walk away before turning to face Sherlock again.  
"I know the usual ingredients used in the normal version, but do you think you'll never anything else ? I could still go get them afterwards but I would prefer getting everything at the same time if that's possible."  
He wouldn't mind getting them in the middle of the potion, but staying next to Sherlock would be better since he would actually see what was going on with the cauldron…  
Jim wasn't a potion genius like the other was, but since his memory was excellent, he did manage to learn things about the way the ingredients reacted to eachother by watching the ravenclaw...  
And well, he would also like to see Sherlock's reaction to the smell the amortentia would take for him. 

Sherlock leaned back to think about all the ingredients, and what he would possibly want to add on it. There was a lot of options, but he obviously couldn't put every one of them.  
"Two dried mint leaves. I don't think I will need anything else than that." He informed, watching the cauldron to make sure the water wouldn't get too hot. He really wouldn't like to start over the potion because of such a little mistake.  
He started to go trough in his mind every step he would need to do, and also at what point he would add the mint leaves. Since it wasn't part if the actual ingredient list he would have to improvise with it to get the best possible result.  
He took everything else they would need from his bag and set them down on the table while he waited for Jim's return, still closely watching after the water.

Jim nodded, disappearing in the ingredients cabinet to get everything they would need.  
A few seconds later he came back, the ingredients lazily floating behind him, holding the mint leaves in his hand.  
He put everything down on the table and grinned.  
"Done! So, what do we need to do now?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.  
Sherlock was a lot better at potion than he was, but that didn't mean Jim was bad or that he didn't want to help with the brewing.  
He could perfectly follow instructions, which explained why he still managed to get Os with his lack of particular talent for the subject.

Sherlock went trough the instructions in his mind one more time to be sure everything would be done right. "Put the daisy pedals and the mint leaves in a mortar. Don't make a paste out of them though." He informed the first step.  
He would have to be very precise with what he was doing. Any love potion was challenging in itself, but Amortentia was one of the more challenging potions he knew along such things as Felix Felicis and so on.  
"And after that is done make the moonstone into a very fine sand. And take three separate tablespoons of it." He continued so Jim would have something to do while he mixed the potion, everything needed to be done in a rather quick pace.

Jim did as he was told, carefully following Sherlock's instructions and glancing at the other every now and then to see how the brewing was going.  
The rest of the class arrived as the Slytherin finished grinding the moonstone, and Jim grinned inwardly when he heard Snape insult half of the class, without the Slytherins of course, for being late when they were right on time.  
The NEWT potion class was pretty small since not a lot of students managed to get an O on their OWLs, but Snape still managed to take away quite a big amount of points for their 'lateness' 

In Sherlock's own opinion Snape wasn't the most pleasant person in the castle at all. But he would act polite for him because he knew he would get house point and such with being polite and doing good in class.  
Sherlock closely focused on the potion, giving Jim instructions how to help him always when it was needed. It was noticeably easier to do potions when he had someone to help him. And Jim did everything he asked perfectly so he didn't have any complains about it.  
He sighed pleasedly, when they finally finished everything, and the potion was just the right shade. He leaned back and looked at Jim. "Want to smell it first?" He offered.

Jim almost refused immediately and stepped back, but he stopped himself, plastering a smile on his face.  
He was almost sure he wasn't quite managing to keep the grin convincing, but hopefully, Sherlock wouldn't notice how tense he was.  
"Alright, if you insist." he simply said, moving closer to the boiling cauldron.  
For an instant, he thought of holding his breath and pretending he had smelled the potion, but he knew the other would notice...  
Why did he dread so much the Amortentia's smell?  
Because he knew, he knew very well just what that potion would smell like... Or who.  
As he approached, the scent violently hit him, and he felt like they were back on the roof top.  
Sherlock, everywhere around him, omnipresent, and the stars above their heads, casting a soft glow on their faces...  
He stepped back, almost stumbling in his hurry and looked away, knowing Sherlock would be able to tell the way his breathing was more ragged than usual and how he seemed so very tense.  
"Your turn." he rasped out, acting like nothing happened.

Sherlock watched Jim witch a tilted head. He acted very nervously. He did smile, but it wasn't his true smile and he very much looked like he would want to back off from smelling whatever he then smelled.  
He also looked quite startled when he backed up, so he decided to be polite for ones and not ask what he smelled. Since it probably was something he would lie about it.  
He didn't get offended from it, he knew what he was going to smell. There was no way he could deny it. But there was no way he was going to tell to Jim what it was.  
He carefully stepped forward and leaned over the potion, closing his eyes. Jim. That was all he could smell and it made him almost a bit dizzy. Just Jim all over him. And he didn't mind it at all.  
He stepped backwards, snapping out of it. He couldn't get distracted now. He shook his head slightly, giving a quick smile to Jim before looking all over the class to the other students still in making of the potion.

Jim carefully observed the other, wondering what he was smelling...   
Snape seemingly appeared from nowhere to scrutinize their potion and the Slytherin was violently brought back to reality.  
The bat-like professor leaned over their cauldron, his head protected by a bubble charm, and after a few seconds, he stepped back, humming.  
"Perfect like usual... Since you finished the potion before the baboons of your class, you can tidy your workplace and leave." he got ready to leave but then stilled mid step. "And like I wrote on the board, since your potion will obviously be the best one, you can take a sample... Don't make me regret it."  
He turned on his heels, his cape whirling around him, and left to insult some Hufflepuffs.  
Amortentia ?  
Jim shook his head, uninterested.

Sherlock knew he had done a perfect job, and since he was with Jim he suspected Snape would have actually wanted to scold them if he had done something wrong.  
He started to clean up their table, brushing his hand over Jim's shoulder gently. "Take one bottle of it for me, will you? I will add it to my collection." He hummed, while mostly focused on cleaning.  
He was positive he would never need the amortentia on anything, but since he already didn't have it, and he had the permission to take it he would. He liked to collect potions, no matter were they done in class or on his own time.  
Amortentia was useless for him, he wouldn't need it on anything. But it was still good to have it in case someone wanted to buy it from him or Jim, and they would be saved from the bother of making the whole potion again.

"Alright." Jim simply said, taking out a bottle out of his bag.  
He hesitated for a second, his hand hovering mid-hand, but finally he also took one out for himself.  
He couldn't imagine ever needing it, but he didn't become who e was now by being careless, it was better to be prepared than sorry afterall.  
The Slytherin leaned over the cauldron and filled the two vials, the scent once again surrounding him.  
For one second, he thought the smell would be too strong and he would actually fall over, but he managed to grab the table and straighten himself.  
He stepped back, acting like nothing happened and handed a flask to Sherlock before putting the other one in his bag.

Sherlock gave Jim a quick smile when he was given the bottle and put it in his bag. He wanished the rest of the potion from the cauldron as always and checked everything was clean.  
He reached out and took Jim's hand, leaving the classroom with him. They would have nicely time to do whatever they wanted before the next class. Snape really did like to spoil the students he liked, for sure he wouldn't let anyone else leave the class early.  
He fixed his hold on Jim's hand slightly. "Want to go look for rats for the mirror test now when we have time?" It was always a bit annoying that they would have to fins their test subjects by themselves, but Hogwarts was full of rats and cats they could use, someone's pet or not.

Jim nodded, entwining his fingers with Sherlock's.  
"I could transfiguring a rock into one wouldn't completely prove anything since it's still  
not living..." he looked around, imagining the time it would take them to search the whole castle "but maybe we could try accioing one?"  
There was nothing keeping them from casting the spell afterall, and simply saying 'acio rat' would take a lot less time than actually looking for one...  
"Or we could take an owl I guess? They stay in the owlery most of the time so it would be easy to find one."

Sherlock considered their changes on getting a test animal. Most owls were quite big, and so not suitable for the test. He had never tried accioing anything living and he wasn't sure would it work out.  
He took his wand out of his pocked and twisted it. He didn't want all of Hogwart's rats to come over to them after all. "Accio rat." He casted. Normally he would have used quiet magic but because it was a new thing he said it outloud just for sure.  
He got rats, defenitely more than needed, even he hadn't casted the spell very strongly so he wouldn't get every rat in the castle. Some of them were pets, made obvious from their coat which wasn't the normal dirty grey or brown, but lighter colors. He picked two of the pet rats, since they were much easier to handle, and put them on his shoulders. "Well that wasn't so hard."

The Slytherin grinned, starting to walk towards the room of requirement again.  
"Think anyone will miss those things?" he asked, his eyes glinting wickedly as he imagined the students looking everywhere for their rats "I mean, I hope they'll survive because that would mean the mirror works." He added after a second.  
It wasn't that Jim was a particularly cruel person... Alright, that was a lie, he could be pretty vicious, but he didn't do anything without reason so his shows of cruelty were mostly in front of thr slytherins to ensure they wouldn't even think about betraying him...  
Otherwise, it was just for business.  
People died? So what! That was what people did, wasn't it?  
People lived, breathed and one day they died, their pathetic lives ending in a whisper.  
Jim knew he was so much better than all of these ants, but that didn't mean he thought himself above death...  
Death was like a sweet promise, a vow he made to the world.  
He would die but he would make sure his name was remembered for centuries.

Sherlock shrugged slightly. "For sure they will be missed if we kill them. That's how most humans work." He reasoned, gently stroking Jim's knuckles while they walked.  
He wasn't at the same level with Jim in some things. He didn't care about the rats or would their owners miss them, they would be used for science anyway. But Jim was excited, to think about the suffering of the owners. He understood and accepted Jim's fun, but didn't go along with it.  
He knew how Jim thought, and it wasn't bad at all. Everyone died and so on. He was just special in the matter that he was waiting for his death with near excitement, even he would have a lot more work to do before that.  
Once they got up to the right floor Sherlock created them a door and walked in with Jim. He let go of his hand, setting the rats on the table for a moment off from his shoulders.

"We have two rats, so should we just throw them into different mirrors to see if the connection works both way?" Jim asked, stepping near the table to have a better view of the mirrors.  
It would make sense that if it worked one way, the other mirror would also be able to deplace objects and living creatures, but sometimes magic worked in strange ways and it would be better to check...  
"By the way, are you going to use those for human transportation as well?"  
The runes hadn't been made specifically for wizards, but normally, as long as animals could pass, humans would also be able to...  
Not that the Slytherin was planning on testing it himself of course.

"Probably." Sherlock nodded, taking one of the rats on his hand. He didn't really need to try the mirrors with animals, but he knew Jim would like it, so he had nothing against it.  
Jim was absolutely horrible when he got bored anyway. He knew he wasn't any better, but it was always a mess to make sure Jim didn't send himself to Azkaban with all the crazy ideas he got during being bored or a manic episode.  
"No. Atleast I didn't plan to. I planned to give one to you so we could talk much quicker at breaks than using my owl and tiring it out." He explained, looking at Jim closely to see his reaction.

The Slytherin grinned and leaned on the other before cooing, batting his eyelashes teasingly.  
"For me~?" He practically sang, a hint of perplexity laced in his velvet voice. "You're afraid you'll miss me when I'm gone?"  
When he first asked that question, he was only thinking of his incoming travels... But then his thoughts turned to his ultimate demise and he couldn't help but wonder: would Sherlock even miss him?  
Jim knew he was probably the only one in this world capable of truly understanding Sherlock.  
The Ice Man was smart too... But he lacked the emotions that made the younger alive, that spark that would turn into a blazing inferno one day and burn Sherlock's heart out of him if Jim had anything to say in that matter...  
So how would he feel when the Slytherin finally died?  
MISS ME? MISS ME? MISS ME?  
Jim smiled, a bit too wide, a bit too mad, thoughts practically gushing out of him, wanting to spill out of his lips without his consent.  
"But would you Sherlock? Would you truly miss me or would you chain the memories of me in the darkest dungeon of your mind palace?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes at Jim's tease, stroking his hair. "Simply for the means of quicker interaction Jimmy. It takes two whole days for my owl to carry the letters." He reminded calmly. It was awfully slow for his like and it tired out his owl a lot.  
He looked at Jim calmly, hoping he wouldn't go maniac atleast before the school day would end, even it looked quite a lot against his wishes. Pleasant. Looking after an over excited dark wizard for a good few hours was going to be less pleasant.  
"Yes I think I would miss you Jim. But don't get your ego up now. I wouldn't miss you much, just a little bit." He answered calmly, not bothering to look at the mirrors. If Jim would go manic he didn't want to loose him, because then he would end up searching him for half a day and get every shining object he would have been able to find in the time he was lost.

"Really? I knew you were cold Mr Holmes, but I thought I meant more to you..." he pouted dramatically, lazily twirling his wand and watching the rat squirm in the air as he levitated it.  
Quickly getting annoyed by it's high-pitched shrieks, Jim cast a silencing charm on the creature and grinned, making it hover over one of the mirror.  
"Ready?" the Slytherin asked, his eyes gleaming.  
He had cast a shielding charm on the two of them, in case the thing decided to explode upon leaving the second mirror. Jim wouldn't mind getting blood on his skin, but he quite liked his new acromantula silk robes...  
It was a lot better than the first one he had bought for his first year, but at that time he had just a little bit of money thanks to various cons and thefts, now his business was a lot more developed, and the pureblood wizards seemed to be a lot more careless with their money anyway.

Sherlock brushed his fingers over Jim's cheek. "You do mean something to me. Doesn't mean I'm going to miss you from the bottom of my heart." He shook his head. Jim required a lot of his time and attention, he really didn't mind it that much, but sometimes it was a mess when he had to work and Jim decided he wanted to cuddle.  
"Go on." He gave Jim the permission. It would be always better if the rat came out of the other mirror alive, but he also prepared for seeing blood and guts.  
He let Jim have his fun. He wanted to have fun a lot of the time. And he wasn't going to deny it from his and then listen to his whining and pouting for the next few hours when he would complain about not getting to play around with the rats.  
He had noticed the shield spell in front of him, so in case there would be blood and guts they wouldn't get all over dirty. Dark magic sometimes messed with senses, it wasn't exactly that bad, but since all the darkness he had used, and how much it needed to be wandless, seeing still standing spells like shields somewhat properly hadn't been a too big of a surprise. And he didn't exactly /see/ it, it was more of a he could know it was in front of him.

Jim grinned, latching onto Sherlock's arm before twirling his wand, hurling the poor rat into the first mirror and waiting with batted breath for it to come out of the other.  
Like with the rock, the runes on the mirrors glowed, casting a mesmerizing glow on their face, but the Slytherin didn't pay attention to the light, his eyes fixated on the surface of the mirror.  
Maybe he was grasping Sherlock's arm a bit too violently, his nails digging into the other's skin through the robe, but he was too engrossed in the experience to really notice or care.  
Would the rat come out in one piece? Or would it shower them with it's intestines?

Sherlock was slightly annoyed by Jim's hold, because as always when he was excited, forgot that he had a pain reflex and he couldn't be squeezed as tightly as that.  
He focused on the mirror, ignoring Jim's hold. He could heal the possible bruises he got easily. It had happened before, and Jim only could really squeeze or scratch him. He tried his best to keep Jim's nails short so he couldn't cause too much harm with them but sometimes it was a trouble when he didn't want to.  
He smiled pleasedly when the rat came out, alive and in one piece even though completely panicking and running around on the table making annoying screeching sound he didn't like at all.  
He gave a quick smile to Jim and stroked his hair a few times. "You have done a good job with the runes."

Jim finally let go of Sherlock's arm, bending down in an elaborate bow before standing up again with a lot more flourishes than necessary.  
"Of course I did, did you doubt me Sherly?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, a threatening edge to his voice.  
'Do you really think so little of me?'  
His ego a little vexed by the lack of faith, he twirled his wand, violently throwing the second rat into the other mirror.  
Once again, they lit up and the rat came out, but this time, due to the force he had put into his spell, the poor creature was flung out on the other side and impacted the wall, falling limply on the ground and leaving a trail of blood.  
"...ooops?"

Sherlock shook his head slightly. Jim ego was sometimes overly fragile. He watched his friend's tempre tantrum quietly. It wasn't the first time that had happened either.  
He watched at the dead rat for a moment walking over to Jim and stroking his hair gently. "No. I don't doubht you at all. It was a praise." He rubbed Jim's cheek gently. He took Jim's wand from his pocket and gave it to him. "Now you go clean the dead rat please."  
He sat down on the couch with a sigh. Sometimes Jim was very tricky to have as a friend. "And after you are done you could come here." He offered calmly.

Jim scoffed, lazily twirling his wand and sending an evanesco at the dead rat.  
When he was done, he glanced back at the other boy, hesitating for a second when memories of the Amortentia came to his mind.  
After a second, he shook his head before walking towards the couch and letting himself fall boneless near Sherlock.  
"We have a bit of time since we finished early, but what do you think McGonagall will talk about?" he mused, more to himself than anybody else "I think she spoke about human transfiguration last week, but that's going to be so boooooring~"  
Almost singing the last word, he let his head tilt backward with a pout.  
Since Jim was so changeable, transfiguration came as easily as breathing to him and he found the class with McGonagall extremely long.  
She often gave him additional work, but even that wasn't enough for him.

Sherlock watched after Jim, stroking his hair gently as he sat down. He was still wondering what Jim had smelled in the amortentia so he wasn't quite fully focusing on Jim, even he gave him somewhat proper attention.  
He did his best to focus on Jim when he started to speak, rolling his eyes at his pout and stroked his cheek. "I know it's boring Jim. You still do have to attend the class." He spoke more calmly, letting Jim have his moment of acting like a drama queen. It was always a bit amusing to see how much Jim exaggarated his emotions. "At this rate you could just straight away become an animagus." He suggested, not really serious even he knew it would be fully possible if Jim set his mind on it.  
They would both do just good on the transfiguration class if Jim would decide to settle down and not fool around.  
He wasn't quite as good at transfigurations as Jim, but that didn't mean he was bad at it by no means and he got an O from it without any major problems. He just had to read the theory a bit to understand it.

Jim stretched and leaned backwards, grinning.  
"I guess I could... What do you think I would be? A magpie, like my patronus?"  
Being a bird, and one discreet like a magpie would be pretty handy for his future travels... Of course, he could still turn himself into a bird with human transfiguration, but unlike with animagus, your clothes didn't get magically transformed with you, and it was harder to do without a wand, even if the Slytherin could still manage...  
Maybe Sherlock was right, he really needed to look into this.  
"Do you think I'll need any textbook or will I come up with a new revolutionary technique all but myself ~?" he hummed teasingly.

Sherlock held Jim gently, lazily stroking his side. He didn't mind how they were positioned at all. He got to be close to Jim, and smell him, just like from the fumes of the Amortentia they had made.  
"It would probably be a magpie yes." He nodded. Jim could very easily act like one and he was always fond of everything shiny just like the black and white bird.  
"I would just suggest we go to the section of forbidden books and look there. Can't have you turning into some kind of a mutant. I'm sure Snape will give you the signature slip so we can look at the books." He stated. Even Jim was a brilliant wizard he didn't want him to mess something up while trying to change his own form. So would be better to have atleast some instructions. And the slip wouldn't be hard. Snape liked to spoil the Prince, and they had got several books from the forbidden section before.

Jim started pouting slightly, but the expression was quickly pushed away by a grin and he turned around to hide his face in Sherlock's hair.  
"You just don't want me to invent something new like you do in potions Sherly, you know there's no way I would hurt myself with transfiguration..." he chidded softly, taking advantage of the position to take a whiff of Sherlock's scent.  
As if it was reading his thoughts, the room darkened itself, the magical stars glowing on the ceiling, but the Slytherin huffed, moving away from the other and casting a non verbal lumos.  
"Damn room, if it's this dark, I'm going to fall asleep."  
He stood up, putting distance between him and the ravenclaw and started pacing around the room, trying to remember what he had read about Animagus when he had looked it up in second year.

Sherlock smiled slightly when Jim got close to him, stroking his hair gently and just quickly pecked his temple with a chuckle at his actions.  
He let Jim go, just a tad bit dissappointed that he wasn't close to him anymore. "I do trust you to create something new Jimmy. But I would still recommend reading the instruction book first. I don't just create potions from the top of my head either." He shook his head. It was always better to know what was doing and how it was originally done.  
He looked up to the ceiling with a tilted head. He was fully aware the room created what the people in it wanted. Why Jim had wanted a night time with a clear sky and then curse it appearing? He wasn't sure but for sure he would think into it later.  
"And I can maybe even help you. As far as I know becoming an animagus includes potions. I could become one myself too." He offered calmly. It would defenitely interesting and useful to become an animagus. Though being an otter, he wasn't very sure about it. But it would still be an experience.

Jim turned around hurriedly, grinning widely.  
"Really? You'll also become one?"  
As far as he could remember, the process to become an animagus required a lot of preparation, but also a long time spent meditating...  
That would mean he would get to be around Sherlock even more than usual.  
His eyes gleaming in excitement, he practically threw his bag over his shoulder, bouncing on the ball of his feet.  
"Let's fo then, but we should just sneak in the restricted session before the transfiguration class, otherwise the professors will know what we're planning to do if they check what books we took with their permission... And they might force us to get registered." the Slytherin added with an exaggerated shudder.  
What was the use of having a secret animal form if it wasn't even secret?

Sherlock smiled at Jim's excitement, nodding slightly. "Why not. If I become an otter it will be rather useless but for sure. Becoming an animagus would be an experience if nothing else."  
He took his own bag and stood up, taking Jim's hand so they could walk together. He smiled gently, stroking Jim's cheek. "I know it's exciting Jimmy. But calm down a bit will you?" He hummed. He couldn't go to the restricted section if Jim was literally bouncing in excitement.  
He wouldn't really mind that much if he would have to get registered, but he knew it would be atleast some state of disadvantage to Jim, so he would go along his wished.  
He held on Jim's hand as they walked, stroking gently his knuckles to keep him atleast at some state of calmness. He stopped in front of the library doors. They couldn't really just blast into the library with style if they intended not to get caught.


	5. Nudity and Irish Mythology

Jim took out his wand, playing with it as he waited for Sherlock to do the same.  
"Come on, let's just cast a disillusionment spell on ourselves! There shouldn't be a lot of students anyway since the classes aren't over, and Mrs Pince is practically blind until someone makes noises... Speaking of which, casting a muffling charm might be a good idea too."  
The Slytherin waved his wand around, scoffing when he felt the familiar sensation of an egg being split on his head when he finished the first charm.  
The second one was even quicker to cast and he turned to face Sherlock, waiting for him.  
He could have cast the spell on the both of them, but if someone somehow managed to find them and cast a finite incantem in their direction, they wouldn't both appear in the library and the other might manage to leave or to knock out their attacker.

Sherlock took his wand after Jim and heard his suggestions of spells. Both were easy, and even if they wouldn't have has the muffling charm they would have done just fine if they just were careful enough.  
He tapped his own head with the wand and shivered as he felt the cool egg like feeling down his back. It wasn't exactly pleasant. He also casted the muffling charm around himself so no noise would be made.  
He focused on the spot where Jim had been. Disillusioment charm wasn't fool proof, he could still see Jim's shadow, which ment he could easily enough reach out and grab his hand. There was no mind on loosing eachothers because they couldn't be seen.  
He stroked Jim's knuckles a few times, before quietly slipping into the library and headed towards the restricted section where all the necessary books would be. Would be good to read them trough a few times before they started to do their own stuff.

Like Jim had thought, the library was almost empty, and Mrs Pince was too busy chastising the only other student there for making too much noise to see anything out of the ordinary.  
Still, he made sure to avoid every bookcases or pieces of furnitures so as to not make any noise by knocking them over.  
The door to the restricted section was closed, of course, but bypassing the wards was pretty easy for them, and the next second, they were standing inside.  
Not wanting to look for a specific book since he didn't know any title, the Slytherin simply held out his hand, silently accioing books about animagus. They would have to filter them afterwards, but this would be quicker anyway.

Sherlock followed after Jim, making sure no one noticed them as they went into the restricted section. He didn't fancy getting caught and getting detention from some simple mistake they made.  
They had sneaked there before, so nothing was really nee to do but he liked to be careful, when there was actually some harmful books at the restricted section, that would be better not to read.  
He looked at the few piles of books in front of them which Jim's accio had brought them. They would have to go trough them to find an actual instruction book, but it shouldn't be too hard or take too long because the options were relatively small.

Jim seperated the books into two piles, giving one of them to Sherlock and starting to rummage through his own.  
A registry of the famous animagi in history? No  
A list of the known animagus forms and their meaning? Could be useful but still not what they were looking for...  
Jim was quickly done with his pile, but every book seemed to talk about something completely inane.  
Hopefully Sherlock would have more luck with his own pile... They could still buy the books during the holiday, but finding them here would be faster and cheaper.

Sherlock sat down on the floor and started to go trough his own pile of books. A rather boring part of the search.  
Everything you can mess up while becoming an Animagus?  
He flipped trough a few pages but there was no instructions, only pictures of what could go wrong.  
Animagi, what is it?  
Just a text book. Nothing important.  
Sherlock went trough a few more books before he found a book called 'How to become an animagus.' He reached out and put it about somewhere in front of Jim, not really bothering to look from the shadow where Jim actually was.  
He piled the rest of the books neatly back together, so they wouldn't cause any noise when they were flied back to their own places, unlike if they would be all over the floor they would hit eachothers.

Jim took the book and his it in his bag before sending the books flying back to their original place with a wave of his wand.  
"Let's go, transfiguration will start soon anyway." He whispered, replacing the muffling charm when he was done talking.  
McGonagall, like Snape, loved them, but it would still be better if they weren't late... The cat animagus tended to get snappy pretty quickly afterall.  
The Slytherin took Sherlock's hand, make sure they were still invisible and left the restricted section, slaloming around the tables.  
A few students had arrived while they were in the other room, but the library still wasn't crowded.

Sherlock held on Jim's hand, squeezing it gently while they sneaked out of the restricted section. He didn't want to be late from class either. Even McGonagall adored them she still would maybe even take them points from being late.  
Once they were out of the library he took his wand, tapping his head and feeling the warm streaks down his back as he once again came visible to the bare eye. He also took the muffling charm off so he could speak.  
"We can read it trough after classes. And go trough it a bit more." He stated, fixing his bag a little bit as he started to walk towards the transfiguration classroom.  
"What do we have after this?" He questioned. He hadn't bothered to learn his timetable because he knew Jim knew it for him and they were together so much he could always just ask. More room to remember actually important stuff.

The Slytherin grinned, interwining their fingers...  
Only because he didn't Sherlock's hands to be too cold of course.  
"We have charms afterwards." he hummed slightly, looking at the ceiling as they walked.  
Jim knew very well Sherlock wouldn't let him hit something, and sometimes, the ceilings were carved and decorated, charms painting colourful pictures on the old stones.  
"I can't wait for the classes to be over! We shouldn't even HAVE to attend anyway, everyone knows we are leagues above what they teach us."  
Jim pouted dramatically, slipping into a secret passage to go faster.

Sherlock stroked Jim's knuckles gently and kept his gaze forward so they wouldn't accidently hit a wall when Jim was looking at the cieling.  
He smiled, slightly amused by Jim's act. He was such a drama queen around him.  
"I am aware. But the goverment says this and that and dear brother doesn't let us to finish early." He shook his head. They could have been fully capable to do their N.E.W.T's at the age of fourteen. But no. All seven ears had to be attended.  
He let go of Jim's hand once they got close to the transfiguration classroom in case any students passed by. Neither of them were really fans of public affection.

Jim entered the class and sat down at his usual seat, looking at the blackboard in order to know what they were supposed to do for this lesson.  
Like Sherlock and he had had expected, it was human transfiguration, but like mist of the seventh year assignment, it was pretty open.  
They needed to use transfiguration in order to make themselves look like some kind of humanoid creature from one of the prominent mythology and then explain on paper who they were supposed to be.  
The Slytherin sent a quick glance to his friend, wondering what the other would replicate.

Sherlock sat down next to Jim and read trough the text on the whiteboard. So they could get creative with it.  
He knew a lot of fairytales and folklord including humanoids, so he had a lot to choose from. Of course it had to be something actually meaningful but there still was options. He twisted his wand on his hand while he thought about it.  
He would want to do something interesting of course. He was as brilliant at acting as Jim, even he used it less often so it wouldn't have to match his personality for the sake of getting a better grade from the paper.  
He looked around in the class once he had got himself an idea. A lot of people were still thinking about what they would do. He took his robe off first, then starting to undo his tie. He didn't wish to ruin his shirt.

Jim hesitated for an instant, possibilities flashing inside his mind, creatures from every book he had ever read coming back to him.  
He wanted something linked with death, but even if that narrowed down the choice a bit, the list was still quite long ...  
Wait-  
This.  
This was perfect.  
The slytherin stepped away from the table he shared with Sherlock, knowing he would need a bit of space in order for his transfiguration to look the best.  
Fortunately, since the class usually hosted a lot more students, there was still a few free spots where he would be able to work in peace.

Sherlock let Jim go away in peace, though he was quite interested of what he would transfigure himself into.  
He made sure he had enough space around him so he wouldn't knock anyone over soon when he would actually modify his body.  
He took his button up off so he wouldn't ruin it. Then he took his wand and started to very precisely change his body.  
First he made his ears longer and teeth sharp. Then horns, stretching his neck to get used on the sudden weight. Then he made himself wings, simply just bone and black skin pinned over them. But he made them quite big considered his body. Then a tail. Last of all he wanished all of his clothes, making sure everything critical was covered but not much else.

Jim discreetly eyed Sherlock up and down, turning around after an instant in order to focus on his own task.  
He hadn't been too certain what to choose, but, as if he was honouring his origins, he had decided to go with one of the myths he had heard in Ireland as a child...  
First, he made himself taller, giving himself a towering frame, transfiguring his flesh and muscles into long, thin bones.  
The next thing he transformed were his clothes, turning his robes into a long, tattered cape and a dark armor, the material so dark it looked like it was absorbing the nearby light.  
The most delicate part of the whole transfiguration was actually cutting his head off... Well, not really of course, but making it look like it was the case.  
To further the illusion, he transfigured a desk into a fuming stallion, conjuring a dark mist with a careless wave of his wand.  
One second, James Moriarty was standing in the class, the next he had been replaced by a nightmarish Dullahan, holding his head against his chest while his other hand wielded a human spine as a whip.  
The monster grinned, and the smile sliced his face from one ear to another.

Sherlock testingly stretched his wings and tail, since they weren't parts of the body he normally had. The weight on his head and back from the horns and wings were new but he would get adjusted on them soon enough.  
He turned around to look at Jim, watching as he slowly just changed into something completely different. He hadn't bothered with his face or hair, he knew he was attractive enough.  
He walked over to his friend, peeking at the horse before focusing fully on Jim. He flicked his tail, which he quite much enjoyed. It balanced him out a bit with all the new weight on his body.  
"Dullahan, and an aughisky if I may guess." He stated. He wasn't too disturbed by Jim's now seemingly severed head. He had seen multiple ghosts like that so it wasn't really anything new. Jim defenitely had done a great job and he looked very, accurate. He couldn't really describe it with any other word because it certainly wasn't pretty.

Jim's smiled impossibly broadened and he stepped closer to the other, his horse following him.  
"Exactly Sherly... Nice spell work by the way, I really like the wings~" he sing-sang.  
And well, the Slytherin had to admit that he also bind of appreciated Sherlock's lack of clothes...  
Keeping his gaze pointedly fixed on the other's face, he made sure to wave at McGonagall when she looked their way.  
Like always, she seemed really impressed with their work and Jim didn't doubt for one second that they would get an Outstanding.

Sherlock smiled pleasedly, stretching the wings out to their full leinght to show a bit off. Both to Jim and for McGonagall. "Thank you." He nodded.  
He folded the wings back against his back rather quickly and flicked his new tail to balance himself. Humans weren't ment to have wings so staying in balance was somewhat tricky.  
He was also impressed by Jim's talent, but he knew better than to boost his ego too much atleast in the class. Jim knew he was brilliant and he could give him praise later in private.  
He reached out and took his wand to cast a warming spell around himself. His clothes, or better to say the lack of them didn't give him much warmth.

Jim grinned when he saw Sherlock cast the spell.  
Seeing how chilly it was in the class,the Slytherin had trouble understanding why his friend, who seemed to dislike the cold so much, chose to go without clothes...  
But well, he certainly wasn't complaining.  
"I wonder... Couldn't we just transfigure ourselves into animals ? That would be a lot easier than becoming animagus but the clothes would just fall to the ground, along with whatever one might carry..."  
Jim knew a few rituals that could create a dimension pocket one could open everywhere, but the cost was rather high...  
The Slytherin didn't mind killing someone, Carl Power was a glaring proof, but he doubted Sherlock would love that option if it was possible to do the same thing without any death.

Sherlock did notice how much Jim was looking at his body. He knew he looked good and all that but Jim also normally didn't care about people's bodies. He just let it be, other students were looking as well anyways.  
"Of course we could but there exactly the problem of loosing all the stuff you are carrying. And for the animals we would most likely get travelling would get more easy. There's tons of magpies everywhere and not many people can tell apart every otter breed." He stated. It wouldn't be such a problem if his otter was an American species because normal people didn't know the differences between different otters.  
He stretched his wings carefully, balancing himself with the tail he now had. He suspected he could sit down with the wings and the tail without breaking something so he just had to stay standing.

Jim let go of his horse's reins, letting the animal move around a bit even if it wasn't a real living creature, and then sat down next to Sherlock, still holding his head in his hands.  
He made sure the stallion wasn't bothering anyone and then turned back to face the Ravenclaw, humming.  
"I guess that's right... Losing everything everytime we transform would be pretty bothersome."  
He shook his head, annoyed.  
"I still hope it won't take too long, we're better than everyone else but I heard the process took months!"  
Jim knew his words could sound narcissistic, but he didn't doubt for one second that they were true.

Sherlock looked at Jim's stallion calmly, playing with the tip of his tail he had settled on his lap so it wouldn't be on the way.  
He looked at Jim and chuckled at his complains. "It's a very hard form of transfiguration Jim. If we can change the process of becoming one to make it shorther, we will hopefully be done before the school ends. We have to be very careful not to mess up our bodies on the process."  
It would take a good while on experiementing how to make the process noticeably shorter and easier for them to make. And then they would have to go trough the process fully. So it was realistic, and of course hoped they would get it done before the school would end.

Jim still looked annoyed at the thought of the process drawing on for months but he ultimately nodded, or at least his headless body did the motion, knowing he would still be able to entertain himself with other projects in between.  
He looked around, curious as to what the others had done, but he quickly turned back to Sherlock when he noticed almost everyone was still trying to cast their transfigurations.  
"Do you think McGonagall would mind if I practiced wandless magic on the desks?" he hummed, more to himself than anyone else, planning on doing it unless he found something better to do.

Sherlock looked at Jim's neck move, tilting his head. He would have enjoyed to do some experiences with a beheaded body but he couldn't just randomly get one, and he knew Jim's was just an illusion.  
He was himself too very bored. They were even better than some of his teachers and then they were required to wait foe the normal students to get their stuff done, which always took time.  
He focused on Jim when he heard him talking, shrugging slightly. "Probably. Or we could also just leave. Other students will be doing their transfigurations for the end of ages."

The Slytherin glanced around, easily spotting McGonagall walking briskly between the tables, looking as exasperated as Jim felt.  
"I think she'll let us go if we ask, we won't even have to bail..." he trailed off before waving at the teacher.  
The old witch's face brightened ever so slightly when she saw Jim wasn't yet another student trying to get help because they were stuck on their spellwork and she immediately went to their sides, ignoring the Ravenclaw girl stuck with a cat ear on her nose.  
"Mr Moriarty, Mr Holmes, is everything alright?"  
Meaning 'what do the two of you want?'

Sherlock twisted his tail around his wrist lazily, looking at the students. He couldn't understand how any of the Ravenclaws except him couldn't get any shit done right even all of the house very much used most of their awake hours on trying to read or get something done. He was in the house supposed to be smart and still he was surrounded by complete idiots.  
He looked at McGonagall as she arrived. "We want to leave. Other students will take atleast 37 minutes more to get anything meaningful done, and we have already done the task enough to get an outstanding as always. There is no mind on locking us here when we could go and do something much more productive to our minds and education." He listed out calmly.  
He knew Jim would have probably just flirted to get them out but he didn't do such things. He explained the sitsuation like it was and expected the old witch to have enough brain cells to let them leave.

McGonagall seemed unhappy with his explanation, but being herself so annoyed with the other students, she couldn't blame her two top pupils from being bored to death...  
And it wasn't like they would stay still if she forced them to stay, so she sighed before stepping away, allowing them to leave.  
"I'm letting you go because I know you are good and serious students, so cancel your transfigurations before you leave, write your essay for Friday and do NOT, under any circumstances, make me regret my decision by doing anything foolish." she said sternly.  
Jim grinned charmingly, before doing as she had ordered.  
"Of course professor, you know us afterall, and we did become prefects!"  
The old witch seemed ready to answer, but she was stopped by the sudden shriek of one of the Hufflepuff and quickly left.  
The Slytherin turned back to Sherlock, his grin twisted in a parody of its charming self.  
"Ready to NOT break the rules Sherly?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Sherlock promtly ignored the look on their teacher's face, cancelling all the transfigurations and getting back properly dressed. He didn't care if he offended someone by what he said, he was only telling facts.  
He let Jim do all the manipulative sweet talking, smiling slightly. Of course he was capable on doing all what Jim did, but he certainly didn't enjoy and get thrilled with it like the Slytherin boy.  
He smiled shortly to Jim, taking his hand and pulling him close. "Of course I am Jimmy. When wouldn't I be?" He hummed. Jim was the twisted one to come up with all the different plans, but he very rarely refused to help his friend on whatever was needed.  
He crossed their fingers, walking out of the classroom and shutting the door after them with a deep sigh.

The Slytherin grinned brightly, intertwining their fingers as they left the classroom.  
"So, I know you have other projects these day, like finding that trickster, but do you want to start looking at the books we just took from the library?" he asked as they walked, humming softly.  
"If you have some other projects, I guess that's okay too though." he added as an afterthought.  
He did have his networks to control afterall... The different strands would go restless if he left them unchecked for too long.

"I would be working on the trickster if you would have gave me the list of the people like you promised." Sherlock informed dryly. He couldn't move forward if he didn't have anything to work on the case.  
"But we can go read the books, yes, since I'm waiting for you to get your job done. Or we could possibly do some of your networking done." He continued, stroking Jim's knuckles while they walked. He didn't normally offer help but he had very little to do and he needed entertainment.  
And it's not like Jim's network wouldn't be interesting. It was strings going all over the wizarding world and Jim was in the middle of it like a spider as always.

Jim scoffed, letting go of the other's hand and walking quicker.  
"I do hope you remember that I haven't been able to get that list mainly because I spent so much time with you Sherlock, but well, if that annoys you so much, I'll just go right now and I won't bother you again." he spat, his eyes glinting darkly.  
"And anyway, you know I like to keep my business away from my private life, we're alike this way."

Sherlock looked at Jim with a tilted head. He assumed they were having a fight, so he shook his head. "I'm fully aware of the time we have been spending together, and I appreceate your company and understand you don't necessarily like to do job stuff around me."  
He very rarely actually ment to offend Jim on any topic, but he was also very insensitive so it happened sometimes, he couldn't help it. He would just have to sweet talk to Jim until he started to crave for affection.

Jim whirled around, the scowl vanishing from his face like it had never been there in the first place.  
"Great, glad we still understand eachother Sherly!" he chirped as he grinned brightly, taking a hold of the other's arm and cheerily walking towards the requirements room.  
It wasn't like Sherlock could really make him mad anyway, everyone annoyed him all the time simply by speaking, but Sherlock....  
Sherlock was special in a way no one else would ever be, Sherlock was him and he was Sherlock, there was no way around it and they both knew it.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at how dramatic Jim was but took his hand. "You are such a drama queen Jim. You could just calm down every ones in a while and not put up a show."  
Not that he really minded Jim's actions. He was Jim, and he wouldn't deny him something that he liked because it was very minorly and occasionally annoying him.  
Jim was the best thing he could have. Of course there was Mycroft, but he wasn't like him and Jim, he was missing something very critical in the mix. But Jim was perfect company for him, and they were benefitting on eachother's presence so why not.

Jim widened his eyes in mock hurt, placing a hand over his heart and acting shocked.  
"Me, a drama queen?? How could you?! I thought we had something special Sherly, but I guess I was wrong!" he pouted for a second before throwing away the show and grinning widely, his eyes glinting like they were filled with fireworks.  
"Don't worry, I know that you still loooove me Sherly!" he teased, grabbing his arm once more and skipping merrily along the corridors, humming softly.

Sherlock just smiled thinly as he watched Jim's act. "I could because you are one. Have you seen yourself?" He stated, taking Jim's hand and making sure he didn't start running around.  
"Love is a chemical inconvenience in your brain Jim. I don't /love/." He wrinkled his nose as he commented.  
Of course he knew Jim was just having his fun, but he wanted to have his own fun too, and this was it.  
Once they arrived to the right hallway he looked at Jim. "What kind of room do you want?" He questioned, with a slightly impatient tone.

"C'mon Sherly, don't be boring, feelings are like the spices of life! Being emotional can sometimes make everything less boring. "  
It makes one float high, higher, high enough to touch the stars, to feel their heat with the tip of the fingers, but in his case, it's also the thing that brings him crashing down on the ground.  
Jim's grin's widened, his eyes glinting knowingly, but he didn't add anything.  
He didn't even answer Sherlock's question, he simply came and went in front of the wall until the door appeared and opened it, going in.  
The room had shifted to look like a house's porch, with comfortable chairs and a forest seemingly extending for kilometers... It was truly wonderful what the room could create inside the castle.

Sherlock knew, in some of those dusty and unused places of his mind that he did love Jim. Of course he wasn't easy either, but it was okay in the case of love.  
The chemicals were a drug, just like smoking gillyweed, it made you feel high, like nothing could ever ruin anything. And the whole world was wrapped around their little fingers.  
But they were just chemicals, they faded, which ment you craved for more and more and more untill you went insane with need, you craved the human you loved. It was a vicious cycle he couldn't allow himself to fall too deep into. That ment not loving Jim.  
Sherlock waited patiently while Jim paced the hallway, following him inside and smiling thinly. "Hmm. Doesn't look bad. So cuddles and reading is the plan?"

Jim hummed happily, having seemingly calmed down after his outburst.  
"That sounds good to me, you're a surprisingly comfortable pillow after all!" his smile quickly turned into a frown though, and he looked away "I'm afraid I will have to leave in order to see the Slytherins before the end of the afternoon, I haven't had time to debrief them and you know how ordinary people are..."  
He didn't think too much would even think of acting against him, not with the shows of power he regularly made and with the amount of dark curses he knew, but some were bound to get stupid at some point... That was what people did afterall, Carl Powers had been a glaring example of that fact.

Sherlock sat down on the chair and took the book from his back, holding his hand out for Jim. "Of course. You actually have to organize stuff, and take care of the peasants." He understood Jim had a whole empire he had to take care of, and also the whole Slytherin house all the way to the little eleven years olds. He wouldn't have been less interested on anything like that but he knew that was the career Jim had decided to take. And it's not like he didn't do it quite perfectly.  
"And that's why I don't deal with ordinary people that much. Or waste my time on flirting with them to get what I want." He continued with a dry smile. Of course Jim was bloody charming with his sweet but also very toxic and manipulating, but he found it unnecessary on most of his own sitsuations. He survived just well with telling people the truth and doing what he needed to.


End file.
